Mortal Kombat: Sovereign
by SailorSedna052
Summary: Set in 9, 10, & 11. The world was about to end. Shao Kahn has won. But what if the Elder Gods stopped this from happening by adding one more character with the 4 Chinese gods to help? Join Shan Mao as she journeys from her mafia days to the next generation to for fill her destiny to end Armageddon before it even starts. (Hiatus)
1. Info

**Title** : Mortal Kombat: Sovereign

 **Setting** : MK9 & MKX

 **Name** : Shan Mao: OC

 **Age** : MK9: 25, MKX: 50

 **Looks** : Profile pic

 **Weapons** : Sword

 **Powers** : Bending: Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Healing, Babality, seeing the future but not in pieces like Raiden, and Lion's Roar.

 **Past** : Then one night, Shan had to take Cereza to the hospital after an accident and while Cereza was in a coma, a daughter of one of the 4 came in and killed Cereza with a painless drug. When Shan found out, she tracked her down but didn't kill her. Instead she made her permanently paralyzed and took her to an asylum where allies of Shan, and locked her up. Shan cremated Cereza and now carries a small vile of ashes and has it as a necklace around her neck. After Cereza's death and refocused on her mission to track down her family's killer and joined every tournament for information. In the process, she created a story. Whenever she fights, she would hold her head in pain and then when she looks up, her eyes will turn red and a wicked smile on her face will appear. Her opponents would call her, Black Mamba. In secret, she worked with Special Forces since she worked with her Don. Though thanks to them, she was protected when she was in a coma and tracked down the 5 she needed to get. They're the only ones that know her 'second personality disorder' is fake but even truths have lies.

 **Extra** : On her back, there is a birthmark tattoo that has the phoenix, dragon, turtle, and tiger representing Suzaku(fire), Seiryu(water), Genbu(earth), and Byakko(air).

 **Family** :

Pai Mei: Grandfather/sensei

Cereza: Daughter


	2. Prologue

_**Chapter 1: Prologue**_

Long ago at the beginning of time, there existed only the Elder Gods and the One Being. The One Being gained his power by draining it from the Elder Gods. Eventually the Elder Gods launched their attack on the One Being to save themselves. In the end, the Elder Gods created six weapons called the Kamidogu. When they used the weapons, the One Being split into many pieces, although its consciousness survived. The Kamidogu became lost in six different pieces of the One Being. Eventually, these pieces became the realms, and life began to grow inside them. There were six main realms: Earthrealm, Netherrealm, Outworld, Orderrealm (Seido), Chaosrealm, and Edenia, each with a representative Kamidogu which held the essence of each realm.

But now there was madness and destruction upon the realms. Since the 3rd tournament and Shao Kahn defeated, evil secrets have been revealed beyond the Elder God's control. Shinnok has returned from his imprisonment thanks to the foolishness of Sub-Zero, the death of Liu Kang from the Deadly Alliance: Quan Chi and Shang Tsung, the return of the Dragon King Onaga thanks to Reptile and the manipulating Shujinko, the failure of Raiden to destroy Onaga which only lead Raiden to be corrupted, and the curse of Armageddon in Edenia with the safe guard pyramid with Blaze on top only to end every worrier that ever-defeated Blaze. All was lost and there was more than one party at blame. To say the least, everything has gone to hell in a nutshell. The Elder Gods realized that things were getting out of hand and has to fix it one way or another. So, they thought of a plan. The Elder Gods gather every deity in the world: Near East and North Africa, Central/Northern Asia, East Asia, India/South Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, and Australia-Oceania.

Everyone gathered at a big round table and the table was the outline of the universe with a giant turtle holding the table on its back. The Elder Gods said to the counsel, "The balance of the realms has been altered. Evil has made it permanent mark since the failure of the Safe Guard we put in place in Edenia. So, we called the Council for a solution."

Odin, the deity for the Vikings stood up. "What about you ally Raiden? What of him? You send Raiden to earth to take care of Shao Khan after he took down the Dragon King."

They replied, "Somehow, both Khan and the Dragon King returned and Raiden tried a suicide attack but it was fruitless and he became corrupted."

Rama, the deity from India asked, "And the victor of the so called Safe Guard?"

The Elder Gods replied, "2 that are not in our favor: Shao Khan and Raiden with Shao Khan the victor."

Ra, the Egyptian deity said, "Then we must think of a plan to prevent this from ever happening." He pressed 'pause' on the universe just as Raiden was about to do the spell and Shao Khan killing him. "Any ideas?"

Everyone at the table was chattering away that soon turned into arguing and soon turned into a fight. Just then there was a bright light that stopped everyone. Then the Yellow Dragon or Huáng Lóng, a Chinese Deity, appeared in place of the Jade Emperor who couldn't attend the meeting. "I have a plan that can stop the inevitable but the alter of time will differ to those that will listen." he said.

Zeus/Jupiter, the Greek/Roman deity asked, "What is it that you have planned?"

Huáng Lóng replied, "I will send my 4 animals to earth, far before the first tournament and try to warn the combatants about the original timeline."

Amaterasu asked, "And if they don't listen, what then?"

Huáng Lóng replied, "If they don't then the vessel of the 4 will do his or her very best to prevent Armageddon, even if it cost his or her own life."

The Elder Gods asked, "Have you chosen a vessel to carry this burden?"

Huáng Lóng got a covered item and once uncovered it was a clay statue of a woman. "This will be the vessel and she won't know of her destiny until she is old enough to understand. I have already picked a family to have her and raised her. And one will be notified of her destiny."

The Elder Gods said, "Show us the 4 you have selected."

Just then 4 animals appeared. They were the 4 Chinese constellations of Chinese mythology: Bai Hu/Byakko the White Tiger of the West, Qing Long/Seiryu the Azure Dragon of the East, Zhu Que/Suzaku the Vermilion Bird of the South, and Xuan Wu/Genbu the Black Tortoise of the North. Huáng Lóng said, "These 4 will be with the vessel until the proper time. We just need a vote to carry out this plan or not."

The Counsel talked among themselves until the Elder Gods asked, "All in favor of this plan?" Every single one of them said 'Aye'. Then the Elder Gods said, "Then by your lead go. The table is yours."

The 4 animals turned into beams of light in their respective colors and entered into the little figurine. Then Huáng Lóng touched the table and moved time backwards to a certain date. Then he stopped the clock to pause the earth, touched the land of China, zoomed in on a small family village and then zoomed in a small house where a couple was living. Huáng Lóng placed the statue on the house. "Good luck…Shan Mao." Then he pushed the figurine down and it disappeared into the table.


	3. Birth

_**Chapter 2: Birth**_

In a small village, known as the Sun clan, a couple was desperate to have a child. The man's name was Chan Mao and the woman's name was Chi Mao. They have been married for 1 year and so far, no children. The man was a farmer while the wife was a tailor. Chi's father was Pai Mei, one of the great lotus priests in the area and has a special reputation among the clan. One day Chi had arrived home after closing her shop for the night. Once inside, she started to make dinner for her husband. As soon as she was done Chan came in. He went to his wife and hugged her. "How are you?" he asked.

Chi replied, "Got hounded by the women again. They tease me on how we haven't had children yet. Have we done something wrong."

Chan gently made her look at him. "We have done nothing of the sort. We will have a child soon. It's just too soon for us."

Chi sighs and hugged him. "Why did you choose me? Is it because of my father's threat or something more?" she asked him.

Chan said, "I choose you cause of your kindness, your strong spirit, and how you defend the innocent. No one can compare to something special like you. As for your father, yeah he scares me but he wouldn't have trusted me to marry you if he saw some that made me worthy of you."

Chi smiled and kissed him. "You're so good to me. What have I done to deserve you?" Chan chuckled and kissed her.

That night, the 2 were making love in their bedroom and in the night, sky a shooting star went by. At the temple where Pai Mei, Chi's father, was meditating, when he felt something. He felt a strange but pure energy around him. He opened his eyes and saw a yellow dragon flying around in the room, Pai Mei stood up as the dragon flew around him and whispered something in his ear. Then the dragon went away. Pai Mei walked outside his temple and said, "It is time."

The next day, Chi wasn't feeling so well so she had to stay home from work. Just then Pai Mei came to visit. "Hello father. How are you?"

He replied, "I'm fine but you look sick as a dog. What's wrong?" He went to her and felt her forehead.

Chi said, "I don't know. This morning, I didn't feel so good and I threw up. I can't even eat."

Pai Mei said, "I know what's wrong. You're pregnant."

Chi shook her head in denial. "How can that be? Chan and I made love last night and we've been trying for nearly a year to have children. What makes this time any different?"

Pai Mei said, "Because the Yellow Dragon came to me last night." Chi shut up to listen. "Last night when I was meditating, when I saw the Yellow Dragon in my temple. I stood up and he told me, the child you are having will one day change the fate of the world for the better. When the child is born 9 months from now, she will be the vessel of the 4 constellations deities of north, south, east, and west."

Chi asked, "My child will be a girl?"

Pai Mei smiled. "A very special girl and I hope she has your smile." He kissed her forehead.

9 months later, Chi was in labor. The nursemaids were in the house while the men were outside. Chi was trying as hard as she can to push and after 10 hours, the baby was born. Chi was laying back in exhaustion as the nurses were cleaning the baby. Then Chan and Pai Mei came in. Chan asked, "Is it a girl?"

Pai Mei took hold of the child and looked at her back, there was a birthmark that looked like a tattoo with the 4 animals in their respective place. "Yes, you have a girl."

Chi smiled. "Welcome to the world Shan." She sat up as she was handed the baby.

Chan was already crying. "She's beautiful." He kissed his wife and then kissed the baby's head.

But the happiness didn't last long. When Shan was 3 years old, people in her village were getting very sick. But this sickness wasn't like anything anyone has seen before. It was called the Fossil Disease. It is a crippling disease that affects the body and an individual with the disease will be physically paralyzed and die. The individual's skin will horrifyingly start to react and harden, and will stick out. The appearance of the infected area looks as if it is fossilized, hence the name. The infected area will then spread throughout the body and the patient will soon die moments later. The effects are very painful. Somehow the only ones that weren't affected were Pai Mei and Shan. Pai Mei was walking through the village and he saw some of the people were wrapping their 'wounds' and were on crutches. Others were pulling wagons carrying the dead bodies. It was an ugly sight to see. He arrived at the door and saw that the only ones were there was Chi and Shan. Chan was one of the first that passed away. Pai Mei kneeled before his daughter who was lying on her bed. "Where did this nightmare come from?" asked Chi.

Pai Mei said, "I wish I knew. I looked through all the medical books we have and there's nothing on record about this sickness. Where's Shan?"

Chi replied, "She's in her room playing. I don't have the heart to put her outside and see all this sadness." She grabbed her father's hand. "Please take care of her. I can't last much longer. Soon I'll be with my husband. Please take care of her."

Pai Mei had no objection. "You have my word as a father. I'll take great care of her." Chi then smiled but then she started to seize up and then she died. Pai Mei got up and walked outside and saw there was no life in the village. Whoever was left when he entered the house just suddenly dropped dead. He soon got to work by digging a big ditch, gathered all the bodies, and lit fire on the corpuses. Once the fire died down and there was nothing but ashes, he walked back inside the house and walked in his granddaughter's room. On the in the middle of the carpet was Shan. She was just playing with her dolls and toys and had no idea what just happened. Pai Mei walked in and played with her until Shan finally went to sleep. Then he picked her up in her arm, carried few of the uninfected things she has, so she wouldn't get sick, and left the village. "I'll take great care of you Shan for one day you will face your destiny and what you will face will change your life forever." Pei Mei went to his old temple way from the village and set up a small bedroom for Shan. He placed her on the bed and tucked her in.

The next morning, Shan woke she noticed she was in a different room. She got up and walked outside to see that she was at her grandfather's temple. She looked for him and found him in the backyard making stone-heads for her fallen family. When Pai Mei was done, Shan walked up to him, stood next him, and held his hand. "Grandpa, where mom and dad?" For a 3-year-old, she was very smart.

Pai Mei said, "They're not with us anymore. So, it's just the both of us now." Then he turned to her. "And it's also time for your training."

"Training?" Shan asked.

Pai Mei nodded. "Yep. You are Chinese and in order to survive you are required to know how to fight…and to one day face your destiny."

Shan asked, "What is my destiny?"

Pai Mei said, "You know soon when you get older. So tomorrow we got to get you in shape."


	4. Training

_**Chapter 3: Training**_

After a year of being physically fit, it was time for Shan to discover her powers. Pai Mei figured Shan would have to master them one at a time. The first one was Earthbending. Shan was in her training clothes in front of her grandpa as he started to lesson. Pai Mei said, "Earthbending has 2 fighting techniques: Hung Gar and Southern Praying Mantis. The Hung Gar system is a mix of the Tiger and Crane animal styles. This style uses deep, low stances, such as the hose stance, and strong hand techniques. Hun Gar is one of the more external style, but also practices some internal movement."

Shan said, "Sounds more like your style of fighting grandpa."

Pai Mei said, "In a way it is. Now no interruptions." Then he continued his lesson. "Emphasis in put on having firm, solid stances. The more connected to the Earth one is, the more power they will have this the character "Hung" in the family name which means "to stand firm and tall with integrity". Now Southern Praying Mantis is a close-range style that focuses the arms while keeping the legwork to a minimum, using low and short-range kicks. Like Hung Gar, Southern Praying Mantis originates from southern China. Practitioners strengthen the arms and keep them extended in order to reduce the recoil needed to gather energy for the next strike. This style was inspired by a mantis defeating a bird, and is apparent by the footwork that Southern Praying Mantis utilizes." Then he started to show her some moves of the style giving her an example. When he was done he turned to her and said, "Now mimic my movements barefoot first."

Shan stood up, removed her shoes and did the Hung Gar stance. As she slowly moved, she felt the earth go through her body gently but hard as the earth. Then she closed her eyes and as she continued the routine that Pai Mei did, sand started to form around her until it created a big rock. When she was done, she opened her eyes and saw the rock. "Wow."

Pai Mei said, "Now that you made the rock, I want you to move it using Southern Praying Mantis."

Shan nodded and took stance. She looked at the rock, did a punch and it moved but only by a couple of yards away. "Well it's a good start."

Pai Mei said, "You just need to practice more." Then he pulled out 2 hand mirrors. "But look at your back."

Shan took hold of one mirror as Pai Mei stood behind her and pointed it to her back. Glowing through her clothes was the outline of the turtle. "Cool but why is it glowing?"

Pai Mei said, "It's glowing cause you unlocked your Earthbending. Hopefully by your next birthday, you'll master it."

 **~(MK: S)~**

A year later, at age 5, it was time for Shan to learn firebending. Same as before with Earthbending, she was in front of her grandfather as he explained the technique. "Firebending has only one origin style: The Northern Shaolin. Northern Shaolin is an external style based on extending the body and long, aggressive techniques that explode and drive through the opponent. Northern Shaolin dates back to the year 527, and is the origin of many martial arts. Many of Shaolin's movements come from nature, utilizing the behaviors of various animals and the five Chinese elements, wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Shaolin teaches students use their energy to penetrate their opponents, sending it forward for thousands of miles. Northern Shaolin fits the art of firebending because, like fire, it is aggressive, expanding, and extravagant."

Shan asked, "Is it hard to tame?"

Pai Mei said, "Only if the fire controls you. The master of fire on your back is the bird. Birds, fly and flow like dragons of old." He pulled out a scroll from his robes. "In order to unlock your firebending, you must fallow the Dancing Dragon, move by move, step by step. The Dancing Dragon is based on three types of attacks: low kicks, high punches or hits, and double punches with both fists. The Dancing Dragon has a similar appearance to Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu: it is fierce, quick, and very strong."

Shan took the scroll and opened it. There was an outline of the steps including on which direction to move. It was all in a circle there was 2 statues. "Do I do this by myself? On the scroll, it says I need a second person."

Pai Mei said, "Just do it on your own."

Shan put down the scroll and took form. As she looked at the scroll, she slowly started to move following the steps, over and over until she memorized it and did it in a faster and looked a head. When it was done, she turned to Pai Mei. He jested her to try something so Shan snapped her fingers and fire appeared. "Cool!"

Pai Mei smiled. "Now that you can summon fire, you need to learn to control it and that part won't be easy."

 **~(MK: S)~**

At the end of age 5, she mastered fire. At age 6, it was time for waterbending. Pai Mei said, "The origin for water bending is Tai Chi. Tai Chi is an internal style that focuses on the control of energy. It is a very soft, gentle and flowing, but devastating when mastered. Tai Chi students learn to use little strength to defend themselves. With Tai Chi, the practitioner creates circles to pass by attacking energy and issues their own energy outward. While being used for combat, Tai Chi also serves as therapy for the purpose of health and longevity. "Tai Chi" literally translates into "Incredible Energy," and it earns its title." He then brought up 2 buckets of water. "Now use Tai Chi to move the water."

Shan looked at the buckets and thought of a way to how to move them. She started to move her arms in a Tai Chi manner and the water started to move. But not in excellent way like with the others. "How come it was easy for earth and fire but not water?"

Pai Mei said, "Your personality might be gentle and smooth, like water and air, but body and fighting style is more of earth and fire. Polar opposite from the 2. Once you master water you will learn that you can summon water from anywhere but it also has a dark side on certain nights."

Shan said, "Got to practice a lot for water so I can unlock Qing Long's water magic. What exactly is the dark side of waterbending?"

Pai Mei replied, "Bloodbending. Turning a human into a puppet."

 **~(MK: S)~**

The year was long and tedious but she finally mastered waterbending. Finally, at age 7 it was time for the final element: Air. Pai Mei said, "The technique for air is called Ba Gua Zhang. An internal style like Tai Chi, Ba Gua is based around the eight trigrams of the Yijing. "Baguazhang" translates into "eight trigram palm." These can refer to the eight animals which Ba Gua movements are based on; Lion, Snake, Bear, Dragon, Phoenix, Rooster, Qilin, and Monkey. 'Circle walking' is used to train stance and movement. This teaches the practitioner how to move and change direction without pausing or losing momentum, as well as staying behind the opponent's back. The tactics used are outflanking and outmaneuvering. The inverse of Tai Chi, Ba Gua surrounds the opponent and delivers energy inward." He took her to the back where there are scented candles and in the trees, were wind chimes. "Try and bend the smoke from the candles to the wind chimes in the trees." Then he left.

Shan took the Ba Gua Zhang pose and tried to bend the smoke. She can but not enough to make it to the chimes. "Come on, wind." She continues to fallow the Ba Gua Zhang movements but process isn't as fast as the other 3. It was nearly harder than when she tried water. After a couple of hours, there hasn't been any progress. "Damn it." She was already tired.

Pai Mei came back. "Well?"

Shan sat down on the ground panting. "Harder than doing water bending 2 years ago." She looked up at the wind chimes. "I don't get it. I'm getting the steps rights yet nothing happens. Am I the only one that can bend elements?"

Pai Mei said, "Well there is someone that can-do wind but he isn't mortal like you. So, in a way, you are the only one that can."

Shan said, "Well that doesn't really help me then." She sighs and then stood up. "I'm going to try again." She asked her grandpa, "Is there a trick or certain emotion that might help unlock my airbending?"

Pai Mei said, "Sorry but you have to figure that out for yourself."

Shan said, "Fuck." Then she got whack on the head. "What was that for?"

"No swearing." said Pai Mei. "Curse again and you will get no supper." Then he left again. Shan sighs again and tried again.

 **~(MK: S)~**

Well 3 years passed and at 10 years old Shan FINALLY mastered airbending. Once she got the hand of it, she can finally control all 4 including metal, ice, sand, lightening, and clouds. So, it was time for her to master a weapon. Both her and her grandfather were outside and on both sides of the walkway were weapons. Mostly swords. Pai Mei said, "Now that you FINALLY master all 4 elements including figuring out 4 new ones, it's time for you to use a weapon. Do you have one in mind?"

Shan asked, "Is there a weapon not so commonly used?"

Pai Mei said, "There is but you are required to use a sword."

"Why a sword?" asked Shan.

Pai Mei said, "There are staffs, blades, and small weapons but nearly all of them goes back to the basic weapon. The sword." He got out wooden swords for practice. "If you can master a sword, you can master any weapon." He handed her one of the wooden swords. "There are also many swords fighting styles and we're going to figure out which is best for you."

So, the 2 started to fight using swords and after 4 hours Shan was already panting and a bit bruised up. Pai Mei put down his sword. "Put it back up. I still have some strength left."

Pai Mei said, "Your mind might say it but your body isn't agreeing to it. That's enough for today." Then he left.

Shan collapse to the ground and looked up as she was panting. As she looked at the sky, a lot of questions went through her head. Why am I here? What happened to my parents? What is my destiny? She's been told time and time again that she has been training to face her destiny when she gets older, but she has no idea what it is. She often wondered what the outside world was like. All she does to bring water, train, and get food. She never went to a different village other than her dead one, which was nothing but a ghost town now. "Wish I can talk to the 4 that branded me." she said. "All they ever do is light up when I use a bending." Once she rested, she got up and did some hidden practices. As she uses the practice sword, she was getting better and better. What she didn't know is that her grandfather was watching over her and was smiling at her progress.

 **~(MK: S)~**

Now at 14 years old she finally mastered the sword. Pai Mei has something very special for her. Outside again Pai Mei said, "Now there is one more lesson you should learn. There are other realms besides ours. One of them I know very well. It was once called Edenia. It was once ruled by King Jerrod and Queen Sindel."

Shan asked, "How do you know them?"

Pai Mei answered, "When you live as long as me, you know a couple of secrets." Then he closed his eyes claps his hands and started to do a silent chant.

Just then a ghost of a woman appeared. "I am Queen Sindel."

Shan bowed to her respectfully. Shan said, "I am Shan Mao. What lesson do you have for me?"

Sindel said, "The lesson I have is to teach you the legendary Lion's Roar. A more powerful sound then my banshee scream. It was a secret art in your father's family that supposed to be passed down from one member to another."

Shan asked, "How can one produce such power?"

Sindel replied, "Some produce by practice, others by birth. Just take a deep breath, use your airbending if needed, and let out a great scream."

Shan walked up facing away from the house where a dressed dummy was. She took a deep breath and let out a scream, the Lion's Roar scream. The clothes on the dummy were torn, and nearly ripped the dummy to ribbons. When she was done she took a breath. "How was that?"

"Not bad for your first try but you need it to last longer. The max I've done is 15 minutes. Once you practice you can get it that long." said Sindel. Then Sindel turn solid. "Now see if you can beat me."

Shan turned to Pai Mei and he nodded. "Very well. Hand to hand, no weapons."

"So be it." said Sindel. So, the 2 started to fight. As Shan fought Sindel, she used all of her teachings and lessons she learned over the years. Pai Mei watches over the fight to make sure nothing gets out of hand. Shan used the 'water-whip' and it tripped Sindel and then used Earthbending to trap her. It didn't last long but it was enough to get her groove back. After 2 rounds, Shan was the victor. Sindel stood up. "Very impressive Shan." Then she turned back to a ghost. "Keep practicing on your Lion's Roar. I hope one day we'll meet again." Then she went away.

Pai Mei walked up Shan and said, "You have learned well, but you still have a long way to go."

Shan asked, "Will I train with Sindel again?"

"You will soon." replied Pai Mei. "But until then work on your other skills." Shan nodded and went back to her element bending and her sword skills.

That night, Shan was up late and was sitting on the stair steps looking up at the stars when she felt someone sitting next to her. She turned her head and saw Sindel as a ghost again. "Need more training?"

Sindel said, "No. Figure you're the first person I've seen with respect in over 10 thousand years why not start a friendly conversation."

Shan smiled. "I like that. You're the only female I've seen and meet in 15 years. Barely remember my mama and daddy."

Sindel looked at her in sadness. "Think my own daughter is going through the same."

Shan asked, "You're a mother too?"

Sindel smiled. "Mother to a beautiful girl name Kitana. Her stepfather, who you will see soon, took control of my realm and merge it with Outworld, another you will see soon. In order to protect Earthrealm, I sacrifice myself to not only keep her safe but save this realm too so HE wouldn't take it."

"Not a very good man huh?" asked Shan.

"The most despicable being I've ever meet." said Sindel. "At times, I miss my own husband, Jerrod."

Shan smiled. "You were in love?" she asked. "What was the first date like?"

Sindel giggled. "Oh man, our first meeting wasn't exactly the perfect one. From what I remember, we were rivals when it came to fighting. Our first date was actually a beating fest. But then he did something that made me gave up."

Shan grew excited. "What did he do?"

Sindel smiled. "He kissed me when he got me on the ground." She started to blush and Shan playfully nudged her. "My first kiss and, human wise, was when I was 21 years old. After that we went on 7 more 'dates' before we finally married and had Kitana."

Shan was hesitant but asked, "What happened it him?"

Sindel took a breath and said, "From what I understand, he was hunted and killed by the new ruler. Kitana was only a baby when he left. I'm afraid I don't know how exactly he died, but I just hope it was swift so he wouldn't be in pain." She rested her chin on her hands with elbows on her knees.

Shan put a hand on her shoulder and to her surprise she can feel Sindel. "I'm sorry Sindel. My grandpa knows the feeling of losing someone. He felt the same pain when mom died from the Fossil Disease."

Sindel asked, "So you know what sickness it was?"

Shan shrugged. "Grandpa told me some time ago. I don't know how but he and I were the only ones that survived."

Sindel said, "It might be the Clan special trait."

Shan asked, "What do you mean?"

Sindel explain. "Everyone in your family has a special trait. For example, your grandpa, no matter how old he will get, he'll fight as though he's still in his 20s. For you, from my understanding, no matter how much you drink booze, you will never get drunk and your body will never suffer the consequences."

Shan was impressed. "Wow. Defiantly can't wait 'til I'm 21 then."

Sindel giggled. "If you and my daughter ever meet, under good circumstances, I'm sure you 2 would be great friends."

Shan then asked, "What is Edenia like?"

Sindel looked up at the stars and smiled. "It was a very beautiful realm. As its name suggests, the world of Edenia closely resembles the Garden of Eden. A very lush and fertile world with slowly aging inhabitants. It's not corrupted by technology like in Earthrealm but I guess in the eyes of other's its paradise."

Shan smiled. "Oh, how I wish I can travel. If Edenia was still around, that would be my first spot."

Sindel said, "Good luck getting there. Its merge with Outworld so it's doesn't exist anymore." Then she went serious. "One of the reasons why I'm here is because you also have another hidden power."

Shan asked, "Another one? What is it?"

Sindel said, "It will only appear when you lost something near and dear in your heart. Something you worked so hard to get and when you finally do, it's suddenly taken away from you."

Shan grew scared. "What is it?"

Sindel shook her head. "I'm not allowed to tell you but I hope it won't happen. You still have a chance to live your own life, but…"

"If I ever feel that pain, my path is set?" asked Shan.

Sindel nodded. "And there's no way to change it."

Shan lay back on the ground and looked up at the stars. "Guess I'm not meant to have a normal life. All I wanted was one day to have a husband, a child, a house somewhere and be happy with a family."

Sindel looked at her heartbroken. "With your destiny, it'll never happen that way. You'll never be completely happy." She lay down next to her. "But it never hurts to dream."

Shan said, "But wishful thinking is painful."

Sindel asked, "Why do you wish for such things?"

"The only friends I have are non-existent. I've never seen a person besides you before." said Shan. She looked at her. "I don't even know how to talk to someone other than you and grandpa."

Sindel asked, "What about love? Your match is out there."

Shan asked, "But how will I know? How can I tell is a person is evil or good?"

Sindel said, "You are more than a vessel carrying the 4 constellation gods. They are your guardians they will tell you if one is lying or telling the truth, and who is good and who is evil. You just have to trust your judgment and theirs."

Shan turn over to her. "Before you go, can you hug me in my sleep like a mother please? I've never experience it before. Mother was too sick to back then." she said.

Sindel smiled. "Of course." Shan closed her eyes as Sindel turn solid for a moment and held her in her arms. Shan was soon sleeping as Sindel pets her hair. 'I am sorry this burden is placed upon you. You deserve a better life.' she thought. By the edge of dawn, Pai Mei found Shan outside alone asleep. He picked her up in his arms and walked to Shan's room and placed her on the bed and tucked her in. One day without training shouldn't hurt…at least at the moment.


	5. Special Forces-Don Corleone

_**Chapter 4: Special Forces/Don Corleone**_

Shan was now 16 years old and has master all of her skills, weapons, and powers. Her grandfather was most proud of her as she excels in her skills. But Pai Mei felt she was still unworthy of one secret technique he has kept hidden all of her life. One day as Shan arrived at the steps with buckets of water, 2 people approached her. One was a bulky black man with a cigar in his mouth, and the other was a blonde woman in green attire. Both were from the military. The blond said, "I'm Sonya Blade, and this is Jax Briggs from Special Forces. We need to speak to Pai Mei, your master."

Shan looked at them suspicious. 'Are they telling the truth?' she thought. The North and South figures of her tattoos glowed. If one lies, it would've been East and West. "I'll take you to him but first, you need to ditch the cigar."

Jax asked, "Why?"

Shan said, "He hates the smell of cheap tobacco and as for you Sonya, you need give him the upmost respect. Despite being a wise and knowledgeable White Lotus priest, he also was racist (specifically towards Caucasians), xenophobic (towards the Japanese and Americans), and a misogynist. So, you better have a filter Miss Blade."

Sonya said, "I will."

Jax put out his cigar. "Smoked too much today anyway." Then he asked, "Does he allow cigarettes?"

Shan said, "Not unless it's filled with opium."

Jax muttered, "Should've taken that London job."

Shan said, "Now fallow me." She got her buckets and the 3 walked up the steps to the temple. There at the doorway was her grandfather. "Master, Sonya Blade and Jax Brigs of Special Forces. They need to speak to you."

Pai Mei nodded as Shan left. Sonya and Jax kneeled before him in a respectful manner. Jax said, "Pai Mei, we journey here for your assistance."

Pai Mei asked, "What is you need of me?"

Sonya said, "We heard of your granddaughter and her abilities, we ask you if we can use her to take down a powerful and dangerous man in the US."

Pai Mei said, "I've seen evil men in my life. Some made, and some unfortunately born. What makes this man a threat?"

Jax said, "Because he was once your student, and we have information about the death of your family."

Pai Mei's eyes widen. Then he heard a small gasp and saw Shan hiding not far, but luckily the 2 visitors didn't notice. Pai Mei asked, "What do you know?"

Sonya said, "Recently we have heard word that a village was destroyed 13 years ago. When our men arrived, we found your lost village found unnatural ashes. We tested them and found out there was evidence that someone deliberately tried to wipe you, your student, and your family out."

Pai Mei stood up. He looked toward Shan who was holding her mouth in shock and was tearing up. "What kind of evidence?"

Jax said, "We found test tubes, and a broken kit next to the village river that transferred to the village well. However, the sickness can be naturalized if the watered is boiled."

Pai Mei said, "I never turn off my kettle at that time and my daughter always boiled hers for Shan." He couldn't believe someone would murder his clan and family and the cure was something so small but what stinks is that he was the only one that was smart enough to boil water from the river and well. Then he asked, "And the man you want to hunt?"

Sonya said, "His name is Michael Corleone or as some would call him, Don Corleone."

Pai Mei nodded. He remembers his old student. Born in 1940, Michael is the youngest of Carmela Corleone. He has two older brothers, Santino "Sonny" Corleone and Frederico "Fredo" Corleone and a younger sister, Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. He never wanted to carry out the family business but after Sonny's death from a hit of a rival family, Michael took charge. But instead of using it like an original mafia he changed things making him the black sheep. He is the founder and leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad. Because the code names of the members are all referring to venomous snakes, Michael's code name is Snake Charmer. The only member of his family in the squad was his brother, Fredo known as Sidewinder. Michael was once his student when he was younger. He wanted to ditch the Italian way since he had a fascination with Asian culture. Pai Mei asked, "May I please see your file on my ex-student?"

Jax handed it to him the file holding Don Corleone's information. As Pai Mei read it over Jax said, "Since you know him already, we can't ask you to help us take him down."

Pai Mei said as he continues to read, "So you are recruiting my granddaughter." He looked at them and slammed the file shut. "A foolish request. She is only 16 years old how can she handle a man such as him?!"

Sonya said, "It's an undercover job. We just need her to get familiar with the squad and then we can infiltrate them."

Pai Mei asked, "What if she gets hurt, gets stuck in a situation, or killed? What would you do then?!"

Shan walked up. "Master, if I must, maybe I can do some negotiations." Pai Mei nodded at her. Shan turned to Sonya and Jax. "IF I join Special Forces and work undercover, I have some conditions. One: You will give me the info on who killed my clan and family. Two: Once this is done, I end ties for Special Forces but I will be your ally when you need it. And three: I will not use my powers. Just skills and weapons alone."

Jax said, "If we accept, you need to show us you can fight without your powers."

Pai Mei stood up and said, "Then a contest. Shan Mao vs. Jax Briggs & Sonya Blade first one to get 2 wins win." The 3 walked to the walk way and the 3 get into a stance. Pai Mei yelled, "Fight!"

Sonya said, "Let's what you got." She started to fight Shan and Shan did her very best to dodge and fight back.

Shan already won the first match. Jax ran up. "Tag in!" So, Shan started to fight Jax. He was a bit stronger then Shan but his mussel size was his down fall.

Shan said, "I thought Americans were more hardcore."

Then round 2 started and the 2 charged Shan together and started to fight her. Shan fought back until the 2 over powered her. Jax said, "You're not as strong as we think you are."

Sonya said, "All tied up. Think you can get the last win?"

Shan bounced back up with ease. "Oh, I know I can." She started to fight them back but didn't hold back this time. Soon she defeated the 2 and said, "I won't break a bone if you take it back."

Jax got up. "Got to give it to you, you have spunk."

Sonya said, "Since you have beaten us, we will accept your conditions."

Pai Mei walked up and asked, "What will you do to keep her safe?"

Jax said, "New identity, new paper works, new everything. As for your new name Shan, you will be known as Beatrice Kiddo."

Sonya said, "As for your things here, they have to be destroyed."

Shan said, "They're material things I can live without. But there is one I will take just in case." She went to her room, and got her hairpin stick that belonged to her mother. As for her clothes, they're mainly training clothes that can be replaced. Once back to the group, she handed it to Sonya. "Keep this safe, it was my mothers."

Sonya nodded and took it. Pai Mei said, "Please be careful Shan."

Shan hugged him. Pai Mei wasn't used to hugs but had to problem returning them. Shan said, "We'll see each other soon. I know we will."

 **~(MK: S)~**

In New York, one night a man in a fancy suit walked inside of an Italian restaurant. It was Michael Corleone. He was alone that night and the only ones inside was someone at the bar, and 2 others at a table. He had a meeting with them. One of them was McCluskey, a crooked cop, and the other was Sollozzo, a mafia heir. The 3 sit around a rather small round table near the center of the room. There are empty booths along the sidewalls; with a handful of customers, and 1 or 2 waiters. It is very quiet. McCluskey asked, "Is the Italian food good here?"

Sollozzo replied, "Try the veal; it's the finest in New York."

The solitary waiter brings a bottle of wine to the table. They watch him silently as he uncorks it and pours three glasses. Then, when he leaves, Sollozzo turns to McCluskey. "I am going to talk Italian to Mike."

McCluskey said, "Sure, you two go right ahead; I'll concentrate on my veal and my spaghetti."

Sollozzo starts to talk in rapid Sicilian. Michael listening carefully and nodding every so often. Then Michael answers in Sicilian, and Sollozzo goes on. The waiter occasionally brings food; and they hesitate while he is there; then go on. Then Michael, having difficulty expressing himself in Italian, accidentally lapses into English. Michael said, "Most important...I want a sure guarantee that no more attempts will be made on my family's life."

Sollozzo asked, "What guarantees can I give you? I am the hunted one. I've missed my chance. You think too highly of me, my friend...I am not so clever...all I want if a truce..."

Michael looks long and hard at Sollozzo, who is smiling holding his open hands up as if to say: "I have no tricks up my sleeve". Then he looks away and makes a distressed look on his face. He reached into his coat to get his gun out but Sollozzo was quick on his draw. "I don't think so Don Corleone." McCluskey didn't care for the scene. He just wanted to eat. Sollozzo said, "You have been a thorn on the mafia's side since your father's heart attack." Then he smirked, "Now I can finally end the Black Sheep."

The person at the bar had been stiff with attention. Sollozzo leans toward Michael who sits down comfortably and his hands move under the table and unbutton his jacket and put the gun on the table. Sollozzo begins to speak in Sicilian once again but Michael's heart is pounding so hard he can barely hear him. The waiter comes to ask about the order, Sollozzo turns to, and without warning, tried to shoot Michael but the woman from the bar shoves the table away from him with, and with her right hand puts the gun right against Sollozzo's head, just touching his temple. She pulls the trigger, and part of Sollozzo's head blown away, and a spray of fine mist of blood cover the entire area. The waiter looks in amazement; suddenly his white jacket is sprayed and stained with blood. Sollozzo seems in a perpetual fall to the floor; through he seems to hang in space suspended. McCluskey frozen with the fork with a piece of veal suspended in air before his gaping mouth. The woman fires catching McCluskey in his thick bulging throat. He makes a horrible, gagging, choking sound. Then coolly, and deliberately, the woman fires again, fires right through McCluskey's white-topped skull. The air is filled with pink mist. The woman swings toward the man standing by the bathroom wall. He does not make a move, seemingly paralyzed. Michael was actually impressed and took the gun from the woman. The waiter steps backward through the mist of blood, an expression of horror on his face. Michael looks at the two victims: Sollozzo still in his chair, side of his body propped up by the table. McCluskey finally falls from the chair to the table. Michael is wildly at a peak. He grabbed the woman starts to move out. His hand: is frozen by his side, still gripping the gun. He moves, not letting the gun go. Michael's face; frozen in its expression. His hand: still holding the gun. His face: finally, he closes his eyes. His hand relaxes; the gun falls to the floor with a dull thud. The 2 walks quickly out of the restaurant, looks back. He sees a frozen tableau of the murder, as though it had been recreated in wax. Then they leave. Once at an alleyway, he pushed the woman against the brick wall. "That was some weird shit you pulled in there." said Michael. He saw the woman was Asian.

She asked, "Then what should I do? Let them kill you? All you did was defend your honor."

Michael asked, "You speak Italian?"

"That and Japanese and Chinese." she replied.

"And you're good with a gun." said Michael.

The woman said, "You have to know a weapon if you want to survive." She made him let go of her. Then she smirked. "What if I told you I could also master the sword?"

Michael said, "Then I would say: why didn't you use it?"

She replied, "Because a gun is a less of a mess."

Michael asked, "Why were you after those men?"

She replied, "My own personal vendetta. But now that they're dead it's of no important. What's your reason for going after them?"

Michael said, "Buy me a drink and we'll talk."

The woman said, "Afraid I can't. Only 16."

Michael smiled. "Don't worry, with me the rules don't apply." He held out his arm. "By the way what's your name?"

The woman gladly took it. "Not on the first date senor but for now call me Kiddo."


	6. Betrayed

_**Chapter 5: Betrayed**_

4 years later: age 20

"Do you find me sadistic?" Shan was lying on the floor, looking up. Shan has just taken a severe spaghetti-western-style gang beating. Her face is bloody, beaten up, and torn. A hand holding a white handkerchief with the name "MIKE" sewn in the corner, and begins tenderly wiping away the blood from the young woman's face. But what can't be wiped away is the white-hot hate that shines in both eyes at the man who stands over her, the "MIKE" of the title. In another age men who shook the world for their own purposes were called conquerors. In our age, the men who shake the planet for their own power and greed are called corrupters. And of the world's corrupters Michael stands alone. For while he corrupts the world, inside himself he is pure in his own twisted way. "I bet I could fry an egg on your head about now, if I wanted to." He continues wiping away the blood. "No kiddo, I'd like to believe, even now, you're aware enough to know there isn't a trace of sadism in my actions... Okay - Maybe towards these other jokers - but not yours." Michael (from behind) bent down over her. Four others in black suits, standing over her (three are female, one is male). And about 8 dead bodies lying in their own blood. It was in a wedding chapel that's been redecorated by blood death and gunfire. Shan on the floor is dressed in a white bridal gown. This woman is our Heroine, and from this moment forth she will only be referred to as the BRIDE. "No Kiddo at this moment, this is me at my most masochistic.

The Bride speaks for the first time. She looks up at the man standing over her and says, "Michael, it's your baby." After saying the "y" in "baby", the Bride receives a bullet in the side of her head.

Now what about the other bodies you asked. Well I'll tell you. The young man in a tuxedo. Shot to death. That's Tim, Tommy's best friend. The pretty young woman in the frilly pink dress with two bullet holes in her is his girlfriend Janeen. The plump young woman, shot to death, wedding bouquet still clutched in her dead fist. That's my best friend from work Erica. The older man in the black suit shot full of holes is the minister. I think his name was Reverend Hillhouse. The dead older woman by his side in an old-fashioned flower print dress is his wife. The dead man slumped over an organ. His name is Rufus. The young man in the Tuxedo with his face blown off is Tommy. Tommy Plympton. The name on his driver's license was Charles Arthur Plympton, but for some reason he preferred Tommy. Maybe if he went by Charles people would have called him Charlie. If that was his reason for going by Tommy I can understand it. Nothing wrong with the name Charlie, except he didn't look like a Charlie, he looked like a Tommy. Obviously, you'll have to take my word on this. Speaking of names, I was about two seconds away from becoming Mrs. Charles Arthur Plympton. And then finally, the Bride on the ground is I. I'm the Bride.

 _But when one wants revenge, one never stays dead. Now the Bride behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Karman Ghi convertible. Her long black hair whipping in the wind. "Looked dead, didn't I? Well I wasn't, but it wasn't for lack of trying, I can tell you that. Actually, Michael's last bullet put me in a coma. A coma I was to lie in for four years. When I woke up, now 24 years old…I went on what the movie advertisements refer to as a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. Even Special Forces couldn't contain me. In fact, the quite opposite, they let the rapid animal loose to finish the job. I roared and I rampaged and I got bloody satisfaction. I've killed a lot people to get to this point right now. I have only one more. The last one. The one I'm driving to right now. The only one left. And when I arrive at my destination…I'm gonna Kill Don Michael Corleone."_


	7. 2

_**Chapter 6: "2"**_

"The city of PASADENA, CALIFORNIA"

A very homey three-bedroom house in the affluent suburb of Pasadena, California. A purple Dodge Neon sits parked in the driveway. A tricycle, a big wheel, and a few toys sprinkle the grass on the front yard. A mailbox with the name "The BELLS" on it sits out in front of the lawn.

The car door open and close. Then the Bride walk up to the door and pushes a doorbell. The front door opens and an attractive black housewife the same age as The Bride stands in the doorway. The housewife's face shows immediate recognition of the Asian on her doorstep. The Bride attacks The Housewife. The Asian woman and the black woman fly into the center of the living room, crashing onto her coffee table in front of the sofa. These two wildcats go at each other savagely, tumbling over the couch, clawing and scratching all the way, landing together on the plush carpet. The housewife kicks The Bride, sending her crashing backwards into the small table where the phone, a note pad (for messages), and the mail is kept. The Housewife scrambles up on her feet, but is caught by a flying tackle from behind by The Bride that sends them both into…An ornamental iron and tempered-glass bookcase that has framed family photos, display toys, some African art, and a collection of painted commemorative plates depicting the negro experience in the American military. Starting with a plate featuring Cripis Atkins in the revolutionary war, negro troops in union blue during the civil war, Buffalo soldiers fighting Indians, the Jim Crow troops of the first world war, the colored troops of world war two, Korea, Vietnam, and finally Colin Powell…The Bride and The Housewife crash through all this reducing everything to rubble. They land hard on the floor covered in broken glass, locked in grapple, each trying to get the best of the other one…When the Housewife head butts The Bride in the nose. The housewife hops off The Bride, runs into the kitchen, opens a drawer and comes out with a HUGE MOTHERFUCKIN BUTCHER KNIFE. The Bride rises from the floor, and whips out a knife in a sheath hanging from her belt known as a SOG. (A SOG is a long, double-edged knife that's as sharp as a razor, and is what Navy Seals use to kill humans with.) The Bride backs up into the mess of the now totally demolished living room. The two women stalk each other, each holding her blade, each looking like they know how to use it, each waiting for the other to make a mistake so they can plunge their blade deep into the other one. Blood and sweat drip off of the faces of the two women locked in life and death combat…when they heard the school bus arrived dropping off a kid. It was the housewife's kid. the 2 locked in stance but the housewife was silently pleading not to fight in front of the kid. Then in the back kitchen-door opens, and a four-year-old little girl, carrying a lunch box steps inside. "Mommy, I'm home!"

The two warrior women whose eyes reflect only combat concentration, suddenly switch upon hearing the four-year old's voice. The Housewife's eyes flash a look of pleading to the eyes of The Bride. The Bride seems to answer back; "Okay." The Black woman and the white woman hide their edged weapons behind their backs, as the Four-Year-Old Little Girl walks into the newly destroyed living room. The Housewife switches to her mommy voice. "Hey baby, how was school?"

The Little Girl is flabbergasted at the mess, and the condition of her mother, who looks like she's just been in a bar room brawl. "Mommy, what happened to you and the T.V. Room?

The housewife replied, "Oh, that good for nothin dog of yours, got his little ass in the living room and acted a damn fool, that's what happened."

The little girl asked, "Barney did this?" She says it with the slightest hint of skepticism, then tries to enter the living room.

Her mother stopped her. "Now baby, you can't come in here, there's broken glass all over the floor, and you gonna cut yourself." The little girl's eyes go to the Asian lady in the living room who she ain't never seen before, who also looks like she's been fighting. The Bride smiles at the confused Little Girl. "This is a old friend of mommy's I ain't seen in a long time."

The Bride said, "Hello sweetie, I'm *(BLEEP)*, what's your name?"

The shy, suspicious little girl doesn't say anything, she just stares at the lady. "Her name is Nikkia."

The Bride said, "Nikkia. What a pretty name for such a pretty little girl. How old are you Nikkia?

Nikki still says nothing, only stares. Her mother said, "Nikkia, *(BLEEP)* asked you a question."

Nikkia said, "I'm four."

The Bride said, "Four years old, aye. You know I once had a little girl. She'd be your age right now. Maybe you two could have played with each other."

The housewife said, "Now baby, me an *(BLEEP)* have some grown-up talk to talk about, so you go in your room now and leave us alone till I tell you to come out." The child doesn't move, so the mother repeats herself. Her mother snapped her fingers to get her attention. "Nikkia - in your room - now." The little girl slowly walks away and disappears behind the door of her bedroom. The two women turn to face each other, masquerade and combat both finished. "Want some coffee?"

The Bride replied, "Yeah, sure."

The two women move into the kitchen. The Bride re-sheaths her SOG, and The Housewife puts the butcher knife back in the drawer. The Bride sits down at the kitchen table, while The Housewife pours both of them coffee. "Cream and sugar?"

The Bride replied, "Both, please." This Pasadena homemaker's name is Jeannie Bell. Her husband is Dr. Lawrence Bell. But back when we were acquainted, four years ago, her name was VERNITA GREEN. Her code name was "Copperhead"…Mine was Black Mamba. The two combat fighters sit at the kitchen table, drinking coffee out of Vernita's coffee mugs. "Were you expecting me?"

Vernita replied, "Yes and no. Mike got in touch with me right after you woke up, and your episode in Japan. So, I suppose it's a little late for an apology, huh?"

Bride said, "You suppose correctly."

Vernita asked, "Even if I was sincere?"

Bride said, "Oh. I'm quite positive you're sorry, now."

Vernita says to the Bride across the table furiously but with low volume; "Look bitch, I need to know if you're gonna start anymore shit around my baby girl!"

Bride said, "You can relax for now. I'm not going to murder you in front of your daughter. Better that and have mine in my womb."

Vernita said, "That's being more rational than Mike led me to believe you were capable of."

Bride said, "Well that's a demonstration of Corleone's complete ignorance when it comes to the subject of me, and what I'm thinking, and what I might do. It's mercy, compassion, and forgiveness I lack, not rationality. I'll wait for now, but I won't wait for long. I'll allow you to choose a time and place for us to meet again, preferably as far away from Nikki as possible. I could have just HIT you, I didn't, I demand respect for that. Since this is not a HIT, consider it a DUEL. And as two former Deadly Vipers, we will observe Viper rules of honor. One on one - no help – no bushwhackin - no treacherous weapons - on weapon of choice – our skill and our bodies."

Vernita says her name; "*(BLEEP)*"

Bride said, "I'm not through telling you. Failure to keep our date, or duplicity of any kind, will result in me putting a xoxo hollow point bullet into the back of your skull from a window of a building across the street from Nikki's elementary school. Now, feel free to respond."

Vernita said, "Look...I know I fucked you over. I fucked you over bad. I wish to God I hadn't, but I did." The Asian listens to the black woman with a poker face. "If I could go back in a machine I would, but I can't. All I can tell you is I'm a different person now."

The Bride said, "I don't care."

Vernita said, "Be that as it may, I know I do not deserve mercy or forgiveness. However, I beseech you for both on behalf of my daughter." She showed the Bride a picture of her family.

It didn't faze her. "Bitch, you can stop right there." The B-word stops Vernita short, almost like a cold-handed slap in the face. "Just because I have no wish to murder you before the eyes of your daughter, does not mean parading her around in front of me is going to inspire sympathy. You and I have unfinished business. And not a goddamn fuckin thing you've done in the subsequent four years - including getting knocked up - is going to change that."

Vernita said, "You have every right to wanna get even –"

The Bride interrupted her. "But that's where you're wrong, Vernita. I don't want to get even. To get even, even Steven. I would have to kill you, go into Nikki's room, kill her, then wait for your old man, Dr. Bell, to come home and kill him. That would be about square. No, my unborn daughter will just hafta be satisfied with your death at her mother's hands."

Vernita knows no matter what else is said, blood will spill. "When do we do this yellow (AN: sorry)?"

The Bride said, "It all depends nigga (AN: again, sorry). When do you want to die? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?"

Vernita asked, "How bout tonight, bitch?"

The Bride said, "Splendid. Where?"

Vernita said, "There's a baseball diamond where our little league has its games, about a mile from here. We meet there around two-thirty in the morning, dressed all in black, your face covered, and we have us a knife fight, we won't be bothered." Then she said, "Now if you excuse me I have to fix Nikki's cereal."

As they continue to talk, Vernita pulls down a cereal bowl for her daughter and lays it on the kitchen counter. The Bride said, "Corleone said you were one of the best ladies he'd ever seen with an edged weapon." Vernita moves to another kitchen cabinet, and pulls down a box of the sugar cereal, "Kaboom."

Vernita said, "Fuck you, bitch, I know he didn't qualify it, so you can just kiss my motherfuckin ass, Black Mamba." Then she snorts. "Black Mamba, I shoulda been motherfuckin Black Mamba.

As the two females continue to talk, Vernita reaches her hand inside the cereal box. The Bride said, "Weapon of choice? And if you want to stick with your butcher knife, I'm cool with that."

Vernita turned to her and said, "Very funny bitch. VERY FUNNY!" Vernita fires a gun from inside the cereal box at The Bride…The bullet explodes out of the cardboard box.

The bride kicked the coffee mug at her direction and as she kneels just before the next shot was fired, she threw the knife at Vernita and it got her right in the heart. She died instantly. The Bride removes her Sog, looks up and sees little Nikkia standing in the doorway of her room. The little girl sees her mother dead on the floor, lying in her own blood. And she sees the Asian lady standing over her mother, bloody knife still in her hand. But oddly enough, Nikki doesn't cry. The little girl locks eyes with the big girl, and holds her stare. As she talks to the little girl, she removes an already stained with blood white handkerchief with the name "MIKE" sewn on it. And the Asian wipes the girl's mother's blood off her blade. "It was not my intention to do this in front of you. For that I'm sorry. But you can take my word for it; your mother had it coming. When you grow up, if you still feel raw about it, I'll be waiting." And with that apology, statement, and invitation, The Bride walks out the kitchen side door, leaving the little girl to her mourning. The Bride walks down the dead woman's driveway to her vehicle. She glances at the lawn toys one more time as she makes here getaway. She climbs into her big, yellow pickup truck, with the words "Pussy Wagon" written across the flatbed's hatch door in a pimpy font. She takes out a ringed notebook and turns to a page that's headline reads; DEATH LIST FIVE. On the pager are five names numbered going down the page written in red ink. The first name has a line drawn through it with black ink. The second name on the list is; VERNITA GREEN (COPPERHEAD). The Bride takes a black felt pen and draws a line through Vernita's name. Turns on the truck's engine and drives out of the residential district. For those regarded as warriors…when engaged in combat…the vanquishing of thine enemy can be the warrior's only concern. Suppress all human emotion and compassion…kill whoever stands in thy way, even if that be Lord God, or Buddha himself. This truth lies at the heart of the art of combat. Then the Bride's eyes un-slit and asked, "So guys, where's next?" The tattoos on her back glowed telling her which direction to go. "Lead the way."


	8. The blood-splattered BRIDE

_**Chapter 7: The blood-splattered BRIDE**_

FOUR YEARS AND SIX MONTHS EARLIER IN THE CITY OF EL PASO, TEXAS

In the chapel, a team of investigators was at the scene. Taking photos, checking to scene if all the bodies were dead and try to find cause and time of death before the autopsy table. Not too far from the scene the town sheriff arrived to see what the hell happened. When he arrived, a cop was waiting for him outside. Once out of the car the sheriff said, "Well give me the gory details, Son Number One."

The cop replied, "It's a goddamn massacre, Pop. They wiped out the whole wedding party, execution style."

The sheriff said, "Give me a figure."

The cop replied, "9 dead bodies. And we're talking the whole shebang. Bride. Groom. Reverend. Reverend's wife. They even shot the old colored fella that plays the organ."

The sheriff said, "It would appear somebody objected to this and wasn't able to hold their peace." Both men walked inside and saw the scene. "Good gravy, Marie."

The cop asked, "What'd I tell you Pop? It's like a goddamn Nicaraguan death squad."

The sheriff said, "You better shit-can that blasphemy, boy. You're in a house of worship."

The cop said, "Sorry, Pop. Well, this is definitely the work of professionals."

Sheriff said, "I'm guesstimate Mexican Mafia hit squad." Then he saw the bride. "Or the Chinese. Four, maybe five strong."

The cop asked, "How can you tell?"

The sheriff said, "Well, a sure and steady hand did this. This ain't no squirrelly amateur. This is the work of a salty dog." He walked deeper in the church. "You can tell by the cleanliness of the carnage. Now, a kill-crazy rampage, though it may be, all the colors are kept inside the lines. If you were a moron, you could almost admire it." Then he kneeled in front of the bride. He took off his sunglasses and asked, "Who's the bride?"

The cop replied, "Don't know. The name on the marriage certificate is Arlene Machiavelli. That's a fake. We've been calling her 'The Bride' on account of the dress. But doesn't Asians wear red at weddings."

The sheriff said, "Yes and no. You can tell she was pregnant. Man would have to be a mad dog to shoot a goddamn good-looking gal like that in the head. Look at her. Black silky hair. Beautiful eyes. She's a little blood-spattered angel." Then the body spits at the man face. The sheriff got a napkin and wiped his face. "Son Number One?"

"Yeah?"

"This tall drink of cocksucker ain't dead."

The comatose Bride was lying in her hospital bed, wide open unblinking sightless eyes, that constantly stare yet see nothing. The Bride is at the beginning of her comatose journey. The rain pisses down in buckets in front of the hospital...when…The wheel to an Alfa Romeo rolls up and stops. The car door opens and two yellow galoshes step out into the wet night. A red umbrella opens as rain falls down. The figure in the yellow rainslicker with the red umbrella starts walking towards the hospital whistling. The back of the yellow slicker - walking in the rain towards the hospital's entrance. Her yellow galoshes slapping against the wet asphalt, and splashing through puddles. The woman in the raincoat as she walks from outside into the hospital down the hall, and into the lady's room door. The woman started to dress up in nurse's clothes and even replaced her eyepatch to a white one and when she was done, she inserted a syringe needle in a vial. On the bottle it says, "A lethal cocktail of Mike's own concoction. He calls it, 'Goodbye forever'." The deadly syringe is placed on a nurse's tray. The door marked "ladies" is opened, and a beautiful 6-foot blonde in a white nurse's uniform, with a matching white eye patch over her left eye, steps out, carrying the nurse's tray with the "Goodbye forever"-filled syringe on it. She walks down the corridor towards The sleeping Bride's room. She was known as Ella Driver aka California Mountain Snake. The Bride, alone in her bed, alone in her coma, alone in her room. Elle Driver opens the door to her room and steps inside. The female assassin approaches the comatose woman. Ella looked down at her sleeping target, victim, rival, and opposite number. Elle standing over The Bride's hospital bed, says to her, "I might never of liked you. Point in fact I despise you. But that doesn't suggest I don't respect you. You were a master of a profession that's most difficult to master. Dying in our sleep is a luxury our kind is rarely afforded. My gift to you." As she lifts the syringe off the tray... Her cell phone rings...She curses to herself...there can be only one person on the

other end...she answers it. "Hello, Michael."

"What's her condition?"

"Comatose."

"Where is she?"

"I'm standing over her right now."

"That's my girl. Ella, you're going to abort the mission.

"What!" The female assassin turns away from the wide-eyed stare of The Bride, and paces the hospital room talking in the cell phone.

"We owe her better than that."

"Oh, you don't owe her shit!"

"Will you keep your voice down?"

"You don't owe her shit!"

"May I say one thing?"

"Speak."

"Y'all beat the hell out of the woman. But you didn't kill her. And I put a bullet in her head. But her heart just kept beating. Now you saw that yourself with your own beautiful blue eye, did you not? We've done a lot of things to this lady. And if she ever wakes up, we'll do a whole lot more. But one thing we won't do is sneak into her room in the night like a filthy rat and kill her in her sleep. And the reason we won't do that thing is because that thing would lower us. Don't you agree, Miss Driver?"

After a while she answers back; "I guess."

"Do you really have to guess?"

"No, I don't need to guess, I know."

"Come on home, honey."

"Affirmative."

"I love you very much."

"I love you too, bye-bye." The female assassin puts the phone away and looks down at the comatose Bride with the open eyes. Even though her face is expressionless, she almost seems to be smiling. "Thought that was pretty fucking funny didn't ya? Word of advice shithead, don't you ever wake up."

Four years later…age 24

The comatose Bride, still lies motionless in her bed. A buzzing mosquito, doing loop de loops and figure eights in the air, looking for some warm blood. The mosquito on The Bride's forearm, its stinger dug in her flesh, visibly drawing blood from its host. From that bite alone, woke her up. The Bride sits bold upright in the bead. She has no idea where the fuck she is. Then she remembers what happened at the church. She lets out a scream of pain and her hand goes to the side of her head, as if she were just shot. Her hand feels the metal plate embedded in the side of her skull where the hole was. She knocks against it with her knuckle...it goes...TINK...TINK. Her hands goes down to her belly, only to find it not swollen but flat. She doesn't understand, lifts up her hospital gown and sees a jagged scar, which runs, down her abdomen. Her fingertips trace it. She started to cry at the loss of her child. "Oh, my baby." She quickly looks at the palm of her and counts the lines. The lines in her palm look like a road map. She stops counting, shocked; "Four years." She counts again. "Four years." The Bride's two eyes fill with tears as she realizes her baby is long gone.

When suddenly...She hears foot-steps coming closer so she lay back down pretending to be asleep. It was a hospital orderly. But he wasn't alone. A trucker was with him. "She's right in here."

The Bride decides the best course of action, till she gets her bearings, is to play possum. She throws herself back down on the bed, just as the two men enter her room. They see just what they expected to see, The Bride lying in her bed in her coma. She duplicates her comatose eyes-wide-open-fixed stare. Except knowing she's awake, and sees everything in front of her, creates a slightly different effect. The Bride, however, while she sees the Truck driver for what they are, and she sees The Orderly. The two walked up to the Bride and looked at her. "The prize is $75 a fuck, my friend. You getting your freak on or what?"

The trucker said, "Oh, yeah, boy."

The Bride couldn't believe she's being exhibited in this manner. A look of chagrin crosses her trying-to-be expressionless face. The trucker gave the orderly the money. "20, 40, 60, 75. Yeah. Now, here's the rules. Rule number one: No punching her. Nurse comes in and she got a shiner - or less some teeth, jig's up. So, no knuckle sandwiches under no circumstances. And by the way, this little cunt's a spitter - it's a motor reflex thing but spit or no, no punchin. Now are we absolutely positively clear about rule number one?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, rule number two. No monkey bites, no hickeys – in fact no leavin no marks of no kind. But after that, it's allll goooood. Her plummin down there don't work no more, so feel free to cum in 'er all ya wont. Keep the noise down - try not to make a mess, and I'll be back in twenty." The Orderly turns to leave, then remembers something, and turns back. He takes out the most disgusting jar of Vaseline in the history of cinema, and hands it to Warren. "Oh by the way, not all the time, but sometimes this cunt's cunt can get drier than a bucket of sand. If she dry, lube up with this and you'll be good to go. BON-APPETIT, good buddy." And with that, The Orderly's gone.

The Trucker starts giggling. Warren begins to unbuckle the belt that lies beneath his belly. While he looks down to accomplish this, the Bride blinks. Warren begins to climb up on the bed and mount The Bride. "You are the best-looking girl I've had today." Then he started to kiss her. But then he screams. The Bride woke up and bit hard at his lower lip. Didn't take long to take care of the trucker.

She tosses the now brain-dead trucker to the floor. The BRIDE upon waking, without leaving the bed where she lay the last five years, has just killed him. She throws off the bloody blankets, whips her legs off the side of the bed, and tries to stand - then quickly falls to the ground. The Bride is flat on the floor. Her legs and feet don't work. Which means she's stuck on the floor with only a functioning top half, and a completely useless bottom half. What's a girl to do? Down the hallway the Orderly was whistling as he walks. The Bride used water to clean her face of the blood and heard the whistling. She sees the Trucker's knife in a holster attached to his belt. Her hands removed it. The Orderly swaggers down the hall to The Bride's room, red Reeboks slapping against the smooth floor. She snaps the knife's blade open in her. The Orderly pushes open The Bride's door, stopping in shock. He sees an empty bed with bloodstains on it, the dead Truckers on the floor, and no Bride. "Oh shit!"

As he freaks, the Bride reaches out and slashes both of his Achillies tendons. The Orderly went down. The Bride crawls over and drags the stunned fucker across the floor, placing his melon head between the door and the doorframe. The Bride yelled, "哪裡是邁克爾 ((Nǎlǐ shì màikè'ěr? ) Where's Michael?!)" SLAM! "マイケルはどこですか ((Maikeru wa dokodesu ka.) "Where's Michael?!)" SLAM!

The Orderly pleaded. "Please stop hitting me."

But the Bride yelled, "Where's Michael?!" SLAM!

The Orderly yelled, "I don't know where Michael is?"

The Bride yelled, "Bullshit!" SLAM! Then he saw the nametag 'Buck' and letters on his fingers 'fuck'.

Then she remembered something. The Bride seems to look inside her own mind. Buck enter her room that first night, four years ago... He's holding in his hand one of those big flashlights you use in a tent when camping. - It gives off a soft blue light. Buck examines The Bride through the blue. "Well, ain't you the slice of cutie pie they all said you wuz. Jane Doe, huh? We don't know shit about you, do we? I'm from Huntsville Texas, my name's Buck, and I'm here to fuck." He starts to unbuckle his belt.

That made Bride VERY mad. She looked down at Buck and said, "You name is Buck. Right? And you came here to fuck. Right?"

A "how the fuck does she know look," crosses his face. The Bride looks down at him... He tried to plead. "Wait a minute. Wait." And with the door in her hand and one mighty slam, this Texas boy is sent to the Promised Land. Of course, he was twitching first. Then she grabbed his sunglasses, and put them on.

She searches the dead man's pockets, coming up with a set of car keys on a pickup truck key chain that has the words, "Pussy Wagon" on it written in a pimpy font "Pussy Wagon. You fucker." Then she slammed his head one more time. She gathers up all these items, and knife, and then begins to strip Buck of his orderly uniform.

Later on, the elevator doors to the hospitals underground parking lot open, revealing The Bride in Buck's orderly scrubs in a wheelchair. She wheels out of the elevator fast into the parking lot. Her arms spinning the wheels as she goes down the line of cars, looking for a pickup truck that Buck would own...she stops. What made The Bride stop? The ass end of a big, yellow 4x4 hard-body pickup truck, with flames painted along the side, and the words, "PUSSY WAGON," written along the flat-bed hatch door. Pimpy font. The Bride looks at Buck's key chain in her hand. "A 12-year-old in a 40-year-old body." Once she unlocked the door, The Bride pulls herself up into the backseat of Buck's pickup truck. Once in the backseat, she shoves the wheelchair away. It rolls out of control down the parking ramp, and CRASHES. Now the Bride's lying vertically in Buck's truck's backseat. Seemingly out of danger - at least out of sight - but she's still stuck hiding in the hospital. And until she regains full use of her legs and feet, this little Bride ain't goin anywhere or doin anything. Lying flat, with the back of her head propped up against the door, her long, lifeless legs stretched out in front of her, her two bare feet at the end of them, pointing to the sky, the Bride focuses her eyes, her stare, her thoughts, her strength, and all her concentration…on her big toe. "Wiggle your big toe." Toe doesn't move an inch. "Wiggle your big toe." It doesn't move. "Wiggle your big toe."

 _As I lay in the back of Buck's pickup truck, trying to will my limbs out of entropy, I could see the faces of the cunts who did this to me, and the dick responsible. Members all of "The Deadly Viper Assassination Squad." When fortune smiles on something as violent and ugly as revenge, it seems proof like no other that not does God exist, you're doing his will. At a time when I knew the least about my enemies, the first name on my death list, O-Ren Ishii, was the easiest to find. But when one managed the difficult task of becoming queen of the Tokyo underworld, one does keep it a secret, does one?_

O-Ren Ishii: member of Deadly Viper Assassination Squad codename: COTTONMOUTH


	9. The Origin of O-Ren

_**Chapter 8: The Origin of O-Ren**_

 _O-Ren Ishii was born on an American military base in Tokyo, Japan. The half-Japanese, half-Chinese American Army brat made her first acquaintance with death at the age of 9. It was at that age she witnessed the death of her parents at the hands of Japan's most ruthless yakuza boss, Boss Matsumoto._

She was under the bed watching as her father was ready to fight one of the bad guys as her mother was held at sword to her neck by another and Boss Matsumoto was sitting on the chair in the bedroom smoking a cigar. Her father manages to take out the first 2 that charged him but when his back was turn another bad guy with a sword stabbed him. The bad guy pulled the sword out and O-Ren's father went to the ground. O-Ren saw him as he was trying to say something but then the same bad guy stabbed the fallen solder through the head with the sword. The father died instantly. O-Ren started to whimper but she held it in. The man that stabbed the father moved his hair out of the way and smirked. Then he pulled the sword out and wiped away the blood. The boss was laughing so hard that he nearly choked himself. Boss Matsumoto put out his cigar on the armrest and stood up. He walked to the mother, grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the bed. O-Ren lay back so the weight wouldn't crush her. Then the bad guy gave Boss the sword. Then with a scream, he stabbed her with the sword and the blade went through the blade. Luckily the blade landed a couple of inches away from O-Ren. The bed became soaked in blood as she started to cry as drops of blood landed on O-Ren. Then the bad guys started to leave, but one more stayed behind. It was the one that killed O-Ren's father. He saw a bottle booze and shot it and then kicked the cigar onto the liquid and it started a fire and then he left. O-Ren managed to get out of the house but that attack changed her forever.

 _She swore revenge. Luckily for her, Boss Matsumoto was a pedophile._

 _At 11, she got her revenge._

O-Ren was on top of Matsumoto and plunged a huge knife into his chest. Boss was in his underwear while she was in a Japanese schoolgirl uniform. As she stabbed him Matsumoto clenching his teeth so hard they popped out. "Look at me, Matsumoto…take a good look at my face. Look at my eyes. Look at my mouth. Do I look familiar?" she asked. Matsumoto then froze. "Do I look like somebody…you murder?!" Then she pulled out the knife as blood spattered everywhere leaving a corpse. O-Ren let out a breath of relief that her parents were avenged. But it wasn't over yet. She heard footsteps of 2 men running to the bedroom. Once the door opened they gasped at the sight and just before they shoot her, she got out of the way, using the dead body as a shield and once the 2 were out of bullets, she got them from under the bed. Easy peezy.

 _By 20, she was one of the top female assassin in the world._

O-Ren was dressed in red on a rooftop with a high-powered, scope-sight rifle up to her eye. She fires. In the limo, a Central American General riding backseat of his government vehicle. Two beautiful Latin women in one-piece bathing suits sit on either side of him. They both wear sashes down their front; one reads, "Miss Panama," the other reads, "Miss Venezuela." He has both hands on each of their bare knees. He was laughing until the top of his head was blown off. Naturally both girls screamed.

 _At age 25, she did her part in killing of nine innocent people, including my unborn daughter in a small wedding chapel in El Paso, Texas. But on that day four years ago she made one big mistake. She should have killed 10. However, before satisfaction would be mine, first things first._

"Wiggle your big toe." Her toes started to move. "Hard part's over. Now let's get these other piggies wiggling." Then she felt the door open behind her as she flung back. She looked up and saw familiar blonde. "Sonya."

Sonya looked down at her and smiled. "About time you woke up."

Shan asked, "You knew I was awake? Did you also know I was being raped for the past 4 years?" She wasn't so happy seeing Sonya.

"If it makes you feel any better, we clean you out every time and arrest the guys." said Sonya. Then she pulled out a couple of files. "Plus, I think you'll be interested in these." She handed them to Shan.

Shan looked at the file names and smiled. "I'm guessing I'm going to be punished for what has happened?"

Sonya said, "As far as the record show, you're still undercover. So…" She smiled at Shan as she put a bag in the truck.

Shan said, "I'll finish the job."

Sonya said, "Good luck." She pushed Shan up and closed the door and walked away.

~Thirteen hours later~

The Bride walks around to the driver's side and climbs in. She sticks Buck's ignition key in its slot and turns. The truck's engine rumbles to life. The Bride drives Buck's big, yellow pussy wagon all over El Paso. She managed to find a hotel and checked in. Once inside her room, she opened the bag Sonya gave her. Inside was a pair of cherry brown cowboy boots, a top, pants and jacket. Inside the room, provided by Sonya as well, she found a shovel, hand pickaxe, camping flashlight, map of Texas, writing notebook, and a bunch of red and black pens. Once she collected herself, she drew a bath in the bathroom of the motel room. She pulls down a bunch of bath products, like bubble bath, salts, apricot this - kiwi that, we see her pour all the items in the bathwater…then she entered the bathwater…lower her whole body into the bathwater. Now submerged in the warm bathwater, by herself she begins to cry...her poor heart has been shattered and four years of tears come flooding out of her. She cries for her baby...She cries for the motherhood robbed from her...She cries for all the innocent people at the wedding chapel, who died simply because they were unlucky enough to cross her path...She cries for the betrayal at the hands of her lover...She cries for the treachery at the hands of her comrades...She cries for the four years of life snatched from her...She cries for the countless violations she endured while incapacitated...And finally, she cries for all the misery she will cause the undeserving...enrooted to Michael's retribution. Retribution that begins the minute she steps out of this bathtub. She curls up into a fetal position inside the tub of warm water...weeping. When she's finished shedding tears, is when she'll begin shedding blood. When the bathroom door opens, the woman that emerges, has closed out all of her emotions...save from one...revenge and her eyes slit like a lizard or a cat, is proof of it. Black Mamba was born. It's that woman, in her new outfit that climbs into the yellow pussy wagon, puts the T.C.B. Sunglasses over her eyes, and starts the engine that sets into motion the gory story to follow. "Where first boys?" The tattoos on her back glowed. "Let's go."

At the Airport, she was buying a ticket to Japan. "Welcome to Air O. May I help you?" asked the clerk.

The Bride said, "Okinawa. One-way." She got the ticket and away she went from the states to Asia.


	10. The Man from Okinawa

_**Chapter 9: The Man from Okinawa**_

The island of OKINAWA, JAPAN

At a sushi bar, the fabric is moved aside, and The Bride enters the tiny establishment. She was the only one in there and the chef was reading the newspaper. "Hi." she said.

The chef said in Japanese, "Welcome." He put down the paper and saw her. "Welcome. Which Asian?"

"Chinese-American." said the Bride.

"American. Welcome, American." he said.

The Bride smiled. "Domo."

She walked in. "My English every good. You said 'domo.' Can you speak Japanese?"

The Bride walked up to the bar. "No, Nooo, just a few words I learned since yesterday. - May I sit at the bar?"

The chef said as he prepares, "Sure, sure, sure - sit." The Bride sat down. "What other words did you learn – Oh, just a minute –" Then he called out his assistant. "We have a customer. Bring out some tea, quickly."

His assistant replied from the back. "I'm watching my soup operas."

The chef groaned. "Lazy bastard…Screw your soup opera…hurry up!" The bride tried to hold in her laugh.

"The tea's hot. Why don't you serve it yourself for once?"

"Shut up! Get your ass out here!" Then he remembered there was a customer. "Uh, excuse me." Then he went back to work. "What other Japanese you learn?"

The Bride puts on a thinking face. "Oh...let's see...Arigato."

The chef said, "Arigato...Very."

The Bride said, "...Ah-So..."

The chef asked, "Ah-So!" You know what "Ah-So" means?"

The Bride answered, "I See."

The chef said, "I see - Very good."

The Bride asked, "I already said "Domo", right?"

The chef nodded, "Yes."

Then the Bride said, "Kon-netie-wa."

The Sushi Chef goes "Oooh" like he's just discovered the answer to a mystery..."Kon-nichi-wa"...repeat please."

The Bride tried again. "Kon-nichi-wa?"

The chef said, "Perfect. Good, good, good. You say Japanese word like you Japanese."

The Bride smiled. "Oh, you're making fun of me!"

The chef said, "No, no, no - serious business. Pronunciation - very good. You say "Arigato" ...like we say "Arigato."

The Bride said, "Well, thank you - I mean...arigato."

The chef said, "You should learn Japanese – very easy."

The Bride said, "Yeah no kidding. I heard it's kinda hard."

The chef said, "Yes, yes, yes - most difficult. But you have Japanese tongue." That made the Bride laugh. "Okay, okay." Then he brought up the food. Then he realized that the customer doesn't have anything to drink. "Oh my God." He put his knife away on the magnet wall and got another one. "Hey, what the hell happened to the tea? Hurry up…goddammit!"

Just then a bald man came out and went up to her and asked in Japanese, "What do you want?"

The Bride asked, "I beg your pardon?"

The chef said, "Drink."

The Bride said, "Oh yes, a bottle of warm sake."

The chef was very happy. "Warm sake," He holds up his thumb. "Very good." Then he turned to his assistant. "One warm sake!"

The assistant was baffled. "Sake? In the middle of the day?"

His boss yelled, "Day, night, afternoon- Who gives a damn-Get the sake!"

The assistant yelled back, "How come I always have to get the sake? You listen well…" He walked around the Bride and put a hand on her shoulder as he made a point. "For 30 years, you make the fish, I get the sake." Then he let go of the Bride and pointed at him. "If this were the military, I'd be General by now."

His boss laughed. "Oh, so you'd be General, huh?" Then he grabbed his finger and dragged him to the cook door. "If you General, I'd be Emperor, and you'd still get the sake-So shut up and get the sake. Do you understand?"

The assistant said to the Bride, "I'm not bold, okay? I shaved my head. Do you understand me?" As soon as he walked away his boss threw a knife at him but lucky it missed.

"Sorry." As the chef slices the next portion with a large knife, he asks, "Oh! Oh, oh. First time in Japan?"

The Bride said, "Uh-huh."

The chef asked, "What brings you to Okinawa?"

"I came to see a man."

"Aaahh, you have friend live in Okinawa?"

"Not quite."

"Not friend?"

"I've never met him."

The Sushi Chef continues slicing… "Who is he, may I ask?"

The Bride lost the disguise. "Hattori Hanzo of the Shirai Ryu clan." The chef stopped and a cup broke in the back from the assistant. The Bride spoke in Japanese, "I can bring you your twin Scorpion if you help me."

That's when they started to speak in Japanese. "What do you want with Hattori Hanzo?"

"I need Japanese steel."

"Why do you need Japanese steel?"

"I have vermin to kill."

Then Hattori spoke English. "You must have big rats you need Hattori Hanzo steel."

The Bride said, "Huge."

Later that day, Hanzo went to open the attic door. Both he and the Bride climbed up the steps. The room has many handcrafted samurai swords in hand-carved wooden sheaths resting on wooden racks running the length of the second half of the attic. The Bride walks down the row of Japanese steel, looking and touching the shiny wood. She looks behind her to Hanzo who is still by the trap door, and says; "May I?"

The Sushi Chef answers. "Yes, you may…" She starts reaching for one... "...Try the second one down in the sixth row on your left." She finds it lying sleeping in its shiny, black sheath. Her hand lifts it from the rack. She unsheathes the steel, partially…then with great flourish…completely. Hanzo's mouth forms a smile. "Funny, you like samurai swords..." He pulls a baseball out of his pocket. "...I like baseball." Then suddenly he throws the baseball hard right at the Bride's head. Quick as a whip, she slices the ball in half in mid-air. The two perfectly cut baseball pieces hit the floor. He gives her a slight nod, then crosses the attic towards her. "I wanted to show you these...However someone as you, who knows so much must surely know, I no longer make instruments of death. I keep these here for their ascetic and sentimental value." He takes both sword and sheath from her. "Yet proud that I am of my life's work..." He closes them together. "I am retired."

The Bride said, "Then give me one of these."

Hanzo said, "These are not for sale."

The Bride said, "I didn't say, sell me. I said, give me."

Hanzo asked, "And why should I be obliged to assist you in the extermination of your vermin? Granted I haven't seen my twin in nearly 30 years so that I don't mind but why?"

The Bride said, "Because my vermin, the one Special Forces are hunting, is a former student of yours. And considering the student, I'd say you had a rather large obligation."

Hattori Hanzo goes to a dusty window, and writes the name, "MICHAEL" on it with his finger. The proud warrior moves over to the door in the floor, throwing it open. "...You can sleep here..." Then he starts to descend. "...it will take me a month to make the sword…I suggest you spend it practicing." Then he closes the door behind him. She smiles slightly...then moves over to the window, and uses her sleeve to wipe away the name.

~One month later~

There was a small ceremony Hanzo was dressed in white, as well as his assistant behind him and he started to inspect his greatest masterpiece. After testing the balance, he placed the sword down as he spoke. "I'm done doing what I swore an oath to God 28 years ago to never do again. I've created, "something that kills people." And in that purpose, I was a success. I've done this, because philosophically I'm sympathetic to your aim." Hanzo's sword was in its shiny, black wood sheath. At the base of the sheath, by the handle, he's carved an Asian lioness. "I can tell you with no ego, this is my finest sword. If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be cut." He put the sword away. Then he handed her the sword and the Bride gladly took it. "Vessel of the 4 Gods…Go."

The Bride said, "Xièxiè."


	11. Showdown at House of Blue Leaves

_**Chapter 10: Showdown at House of Blue Leaves**_

It was one year after the massacre in El Paso, Texas, that Michael backed his Nippon progeny financially and philosophically in her Shakespearian-in-magnitude power struggle with the other Yakuza clans, over who would rule vice in the city of Tokyo. When it was all over, it was the geisha-regaled O-Ren Ishii and her posse the Crazy 88 that proved the victor. O-Ren has just become the official leader of crime in the city of Tokyo. As O-Ren was celebrating she has 3 people with her. The pretty lady to O-Ren's right, who's dressed like she's a villain on 'Star Trek', is O-Ren's lawyer, best friend, and second lieutenant. The half-French, half-Japanese Sofie Fatale. Another former protégée of Michael's. Now to her fighters.

The young girl in the schoolgirl uniform is O-Ren's personal bodyguard, 17-year-old Gogo Yubari. Gogo may be young, but what she lacks in age, she makes up for in madness. Example: Gogo was sitting at a bar in drunken stupor drinking a beer. An older Japanese man in a business suit sits next to her at the bar...he puts the moves on her. "Do you like Ferraris?"

Gogo staring out into space, says with a drunken voice; "Ferrari...Italian trash." She slowly turns to face the older Japanese man in the business suit. "Do you want to screw me?" The man in the business suit giggles at her boldness; she gets annoyed; "Don't laugh! Do you want to fuck me, yes or no?"

He answered, "Yes." Then he lets out a GRUNT coming from below.

Gogo has stabbed him in the belly with a samurai short sword, and is slowly dragging the blade across his abdomen, creating a big red grin across his mid-section. Gogo focused, Business Suit penetrated...She opens him up more...he feels every inch of the blade's progress. "How about now, big boy, do you still wish to penetrate me..." Blade cuts deeper... "Or is it I who has penetrated you." And with her last line, does the final disemboweling slice that sends his insides spilling out onto the barroom floor.

See what I mean? The bold guy is in the black suit and the Kato mask is Johnny Mo, the head general of the O-Ren's personal army, the Crazy 88.

All 6 toast their new leader, with much laughter and drinking...all accept one...Boss Tanaka. And just in case you're wondering how could a half-breed Japanese Chinese American become the boss of all criminal activity in Tokyo, Japan…I'll tell you. The subject of O-Ren's blood and nationality came up before the council only once. The night O-Ren assumed power over the crime council. Boss Tanaka was angered ambiance among the alcohol-fueled frivolity. The man who seems bound and determined to break the mood is Boss Tanaka. And what Boss Tanaka thinks is... Boss Tanaka brings his fist down on the table, smashing the plate in front of him into itty-bitty pieces. The party comes to a halt as all eyes go to the leader of the Tanaka Crime Family. "Tanaka? What's the meaning of this outburst? This is a time for celebration."

Tanaka said, "And what exactly should we be celebrating? The perversion of our illustrious council?"

Another Boss said, "Tanaka, have you gone mad? I will not tolerate this! You're disrespecting our sister! Apologies!"

O-Ren asked, "Tanaka-San, of what perversion do you speak?"

Tanaka said, "My father..." He looked at a clan head. "...along with yours and..." He looked. "...along with yours, started this council. And while you drink like fish and laugh like donkeys, they weep in the afterlife over the perversion committed today."

Another Boss yelled, "Outrageous! Tanaka, it is you who insult this council! Bastard!" He threw a napkin at him.

Tanaka took it and threw it at him. "Fuck face!"

Finally, O-Ren shouted, "Gentlemen!" Then she composed herself. "Tanaka obviously has something on his mind. By all means, allow him to express it."

Boss Tanaka looks at the female half-breed American and says; "I speak, of the perversion done to this council, which I love more than my own children," Then he shouted, "by making a Chinese Jap-American half breed bitch its leader!"

Then...Faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket…O-Ren's samurai sword is unsheathed...Boss Tanaka's head is liberated from its body...The head hits the table...And from the spot between its shoulder blades, a geyser of blood shoots up in the air. The Bosses who were shocked at Tanaka's words are even more flabbergasted at O-Ren's response. The mistress' eyes got to the other bosses looking at her. As she speaks English, Sofia translates for the bosses. "I'm going to say this in English so you know how serious I am. As your leader, I encourage you to – from time to time and always in a respectful manner, and with the complete knowledge that my decision is final - to question my logic. If you're unconvinced a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so. But allow me to convince you. And I will promise you, right here and now, no subject will be taboo...except the subject that was just under discussion." Then she got upset. "The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or my American heritage as a negative is, I collect your fuckin head." Then she picks up the head. "Just like this fucker here. Now if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say, now's the fuckin time!" Nobody says anything. "I didn't think so." Then she dropped the head and she spoke Japanese again. "Meeting adjourned."

Meanwhile the Bride was at an airport. "One Ticket to Tokyo please." She got and went. That night, O-Ren including some of the Crazy 88 was on their way to a restaurant. O-Ren was sitting in the back of the car while Sofia was driving. During a stop, a motorcycle with a rider in a yellow suit and helmet was next to the limo. The Bride saw her and remembered her from the chapel 4 years ago. One can never forget a face.

Soon enough the Yakuza arrived at the restaurant. In the main room there was people dancing to a 3-girl rock group and already the owner of the place and the manager treated the O-Ren and her posse like royalty. Even gave her the top room on the second floor. At the bar, The Bride was already there and made her way up to the steps. As the gang were laughing and joking, O-Ren senses something and threw a dart out of the paper window. She called Gogo and when Gogo went out with dagger at hand, she looked around and saw no one. Luckily, she wasn't smart enough to look up. The Bride was holding herself up against the roof preying that Gogo goes back inside so she can get down. After a few minutes Gogo finally went inside. The Bride got down and realized that plan A isn't going to work. So, the Bride walked to the bathroom to change clothes since her bike suit is squeaking too much into her Bruce Lee clothes. As she changed the owner and manager were still scuffling and tried their best not to get killed. "You have to say 'yes, yes, yes' to any selfish demands they make." said the owner.

The manager said, "They demand ridiculous things."

"Shut up! Do you know what would happen if they heard you?" asked the owner.

The manager asked, "What will happen?"

The owner asked, "Did you hear about the Tanaka clan? You're gonna get your head chopped off."

The manager said, "No, I don't want that."

As they walked up, Sofia was walking down to the girl's room. Luck was on the Bride's side. The Bride heard Sofia and saw her. Bride's eye's slit for a moment. Back in the main suit, one of the men saw the manager and asked, "Who do you remind of?" Then he got the idea. "Charlie Brown!"

Everyone cheered and made fun of him, even his boss. "You're right, he does look like Charlie Brown."

Another member said, "Charlie Brown. 4 pepperoni pizzas."

Charlie Brown said, "That's not on our menu…"

The man in suit yelled, "I don't care, bring them, goddammit!"

Then a female member said, "Hey…hey…Charlie, give me a kiss."

The gang had a fun time making fun of the poor man. As O-Ren was laughing, she heard a voice in Japanese. "O-Ren Ishii! You and I have unfinished business!"

The Crazy 88 sprung to their feet. One slides the door and opened the other one to O-Ren can some out. They see O-Ren's lawyer, Sofie Fatale, standing in the middle of the restaurant, her left arm completely outstretched, hand gripped around a post. She has a terrified look on her face. Before anybody on O-Ren's side of the room can say anything...The Bride steps out from behind Sofie.

O-Ren reaction shows how effective the element of surprise turned out to be. She says The Bride's name softly to herself.

The Bride raises her Hanzo sword, and Slices off Sofie's Arm at the Shoulder with one stroke. Sofie spewing and Gushing Blood from her stump, twists her body in agony, painting the floor and the walls with giant Splashes of Red, as her body hits the floor, twitching in both surprise and shock. As the Bride slowly walked up to the steps, everyone including the staff and the band members ran out screaming. O-Ren said, "Charlie Brown, beat it." Didn't to say it twice. For a fat guy, he can out of there fast. O-Ren gives a simple order; "Miki." Miki, one of The Crazy 88, steps forward, unsheathes his sword, and yells at the Bride as he jumped off the second floor. Raising his samurai sword high, he Charges, Screaming A Banzai Scream...The Bride turns to face him. Miki charging and screaming... The Bride slowly raises the Hanzo Sword into Striking Position. Miki charging and screaming, almost on top of her. The Bride, sword in position, waits for her opponent to arrive. Miki arrives at his destination, he Swings... The Bride Swings... The Hanzo Sword Slices Miki's inferior blade in half. Miki looks down at the impotent weapon in his hand. The Bride Thrusts her sword through Miki's abdomen, then Lifts the little guy off the ground straight up in the air. Miki screaming, Impaled on her blade like a fish at the end of a spear. O-Ren and her crew watch stunned. The Bride Drops the shishkabobbed Miki into the koi pond that starts outside the restaurant and ends inside, with a huge blue splash. Koi pond - Blue water - Orange and yellow fish - Red blood - Dead man. O-Ren her eyes narrow with rage. She screams out another order; "Tear the bitch apart!" The five remaining Crazy 88 unsheathe their swords at the same time. They circle the Bride. The Bride Inside the circle of Combatants who surrounded her. She Whips the sword out of the floor and raises her blade diagonally in front of her. Her eyes are reflected in the shiny steel. Holding her sword in the diagonal position, The Bride can see reflected in the shiny blade, whoever stands behind her. The six Crazy 88 Attack...The Bride does a Zatoichi-like SWISH-SLASH-SWISH with her steel blade. Four boys die an immediate samurai blade-inflicted death, screaming grunt, twitching body, frozen in the stance. Then with one hit of the sword they went to the ground. The last two put up more of a fight...but then one of them is slashes and falls and the last one was stabbed and then fell over.

When it was over, the Bride walked up to the dance-floor. So, O-Ren, any more subordinates for me to kill?" Then she heard a 'hi'. The Bride turned her head and saw Gogo with a metal ball in chain. "Gogo, right?"

Gogo said, "Bingo. And you are Black Mamba."

The Bride said, "Our reputations precede us."

Gogo asked as she walked down, "Don't they?"

The Bide said, "Gogo, I know you feel you must protect your mistress. But I beg you. Walk away."

Once Gogo walked on the floor, she started giggling. "You call that begging?" Then her face turned serious. "You can beg better than that."

Gogo begins twirling it above her head. Each rotation makes a whoosh sound in the air. The ball came right at the Bride. The BRIDE ducks out of the way, the heavy ball destroying a large chunk of wood post behind her. Gogo's eyes focused on her enemy...WHOOSH...WHOOSH...WHOOSH...she lets fly... The ball and chains wrap around the blade of the Hanzo sword...Gogo yanks...the Hanzo sword FLIES out of her grip. Gogo smiles...then...WHOOSH...WHOOSH... The BRIDE removes her boomerang and throws it at Gogo. The boomerang twirls through the air heading right for Gogo. BAM! The young bodyguard swats it out of the air with her ball and chain. She lifts up her chain and the boomerang lies bent, on the floor. She looks across at her opponent...WHOOSH... WHOOSH...WHOOSH. She lets fly. It Strikes the Bride in the chest, knocking her on her back...Gogo twirls it over her head and sends it towards the Bride on the floor. The Bride rolls out of the way, the metal ball punches a hole in an overturned table instead. The weaponless Bride wrestles a table leg loose from its purpose. She hops up on a table, table leg in hand, ready to fight. Gogo hops up on a table... As they fight they hop from table to table...Gogo throws her ball and chain... ...The Bride - quick as a whip...bats it away with the table leg. Gogo lets loose with the balls and chain...it wraps around the Bride's ankle...Gogo yanks...The Bride's leg is yanked out from under her, she falls crashing through another table. Gogo jumps on top of the Bride, attacking her with a samurai short sword. The Bride uses the table leg to block it. The women fight fiercely, locked in grapple, each face ugly with struggle. Gogo let's her left earlobe gets too close to the Bride's mouth...the Bride bites down on it. Gogo screams as the lower part of the appendage is bitten off, and she rolls off the Bride. The Bride comes at her, bringing the table leg - whoops upside her head - whoop-whoop-sides-her head. The girl in the schoolgirl uniform falls on her back, and delivers a powerful "C.K." to the Bride from below, dropping her to her knees. The chain around the Bride's neck and begins to strangle. The chain digs into the Bride's throat. The Bride brings the table leg, which has a couple of nasty looking nails in it, hard against the Japanese girl's thigh. The nails cut through the plaid school uniform skirt into her flesh...the Bride rips out the nails, taking some leg meat with them. Gogo lets out a horrific scream. The Bride brings the table leg down on the toe of the young girl's white tennis shoe. The nails stuck in, the white shoe becomes stained with red. Gogo SCREAMS letting loose of the chain. Then the Bride got the nailed wood and thrust it in the side of Gogo's head. Gogo drops the chain as blood came out of her eyes like tears. Then she fell to the ground as the Bride got the chain off of her and stood up.

Once she got her sword she walked up to O-Ren. O-Ren got the small dagger that Gogo once hold and unsheathe the blade. Then she stabbed it on the rail. When a loud sound of many engines behind the Bride. The Bride sighs and looked at O-Ren. "Is that what I think it is?"

O-Ren asked, "You didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?"

The Bride answered honestly, "You know, for a second there, yeah I kind of did."

"Silly Rabbit"

"Trix are for"

"Kids."

Then behind her, through the broken pictures window we see seventeen motorcycles pull up to the parking lot. All the riders wear black suits with kato masks, and all carry samurai swords. O-Ren went inside her room so leave them be. The seventeen Crazy 88 reinforcements come running into the restaurant and withdrawn swords surround The Bride with the head bold guy as their leader. Not all have Samurai swords; one juggles 2 hatchets and another has chains. The Two Opposing Forces Preparing to Strike...Hands on Sword Handles...Feet finding Combat Stance...etc... That's when all hell broke loose. As she matches skill with the army of black-suited boys, arms flailing, silver blade Clashing and Slashing, long black hair whipping like a whirling dervish… The Bride seems to be somewhat dancing to it as she fights. Many members of The Crazy 88 are Sliced, Slashed, and liberated from the limbs they were born with at The Bride's blade. Some specific moments like while clashing swords, The Bride whips the silver boomerang out of its holster, and Throws it... ...It Twirls Through the Air... ...Embedding itself long ways in one of the boy's faces. The Bride does a Mid-Air somersault over the head of an attacker, landing solid on her feet behind him...Slash, he's out. The Bride is knocked to the floor, her Attacker stands over her to Spear the young Chinese, and her legs spring up in the air, ankles lock around the boy's neck. She throws him down to the ground. With his neck, still in the vise-like grip of her ankles, she removes the SOG knife from its sheath and plunges it deep into the boy's chest. While still on the ground, an Attacker Charges at her. Yanking the Boomerang out of the Dead Boy's Face, She Sends It Flying in the Charging Man's path...Boomerang Twirling Through the Air Close to the Ground... ...Chopping Off the Charging Attacker's Foot in Mid Step, he falls flat. The Bride jumps up onto an attacker's shoulders. She locks her legs around him so he's helpless at shaking her off. ...she swings down with her sword, and cuts the man's hands off. So while the helpless man with no hands screams, the now nine foot tall Bride fights with the others. When she's through she brings the blade across the man she's perched on his throat. He falls to his knees, bringing the Bride back to the floor like an elevator. As soon as her soles touch ground, she's off his shoulders, somersaulting on the floor, bringing her blade up between an attacker's legs into his groin. He lets out a scream, as she yanks her blade free. One attacker steps out from the rest, "The Best One." He Twirls his sword expertly, challenging the young woman to, "Come get a piece." The Bride does a screaming charge towards him... ...Sword raised, The Attacker stands his ground, calm - steady, waiting for the blonde-haired locomotive to collide...They meet... SWING - CLASH - DANCE - SEPARATE - SWING - CLASH - SPIN - CLASH - LOCK - TWIRL - SEPARATE - They match each other blow for blow, till one makes a mistake. It's the male. The Bride's swing, that's neither clashed nor blocked, slices off his right arm. ...The arm, still gripping the samurai sword, drops to the floor. The Bride pushes the Hanzo Sword right through the middle of his chest. Only half of the Crazy 88s that started the fight remain alive, or intact...They start to approach...The Bride, still holding the sword that's still impaling the skilled Attacker, backs up, keeping his body between her and the remaining killers. Like a boxer, The Bride uses the momentary break in the action, to rest on her feet...THEN...yanks the blade from his chest cavity...The Body Twitches - Spasms - Grunts and Crashes to the floor. The Attackers start to close in...The Bride readies herself for their attack...THEN...Drops to the floor on her back, Spinning like a top. She Swings and Slashes and Cuts down below at their legs and feet, like some hellish samurai sword-wielding turtle flipped over on its shell... Many black-suited, mask-wearing boys drop to the ground. ...Still Spinning like a break dancer, she spins up on top of her head, and Pops back up on her feet. And then there were seven. The seven remaining sword wielding, black-suited boys move out of range of the Bride's blade when she dropped to the floor. Now spread out, they make a large half-circle. The Bride, slowly points the tip of her blade to the floor lowers herself to one knee and slightly bows her head. In repose. The owner stands by the restaurant's junction box, she flips the switch. The room goes dark. The Crazy 7 makes a wide circle around the lady who's still on the floor... ...Looking down on her breathing hard in the shadows. As she breathes in and out, her face changed into the 4 that were placed on her back. Breathe in (Turtle) - Breathe out (Bird) -Breathe in (Dragon) - Breathe out (Tiger) ... The Bride rises to her feet... The Crazy 7 moved in a circle around The Bride, she moves in a circle inside of their circle, all eight of them move in rhythm with the Metal... With the lights off, The White paper wall the eight killers fight in front of turns a Psychedelic Bright Blue. The snow falling outside is reflected against the paper wall like black snow falling on a blue shadow puppet stage. The eight samurais are Black Silhouettes against the blue backdrop. They begin to combat in a dance of blood, steel and death. The Bride does a sword wielding dosey-doe with all sword-wielding partners. She CLISH-CLASH-CLISH-CLASHES with all of them – They separate - stalk each other for a moment to the beat – then CLISH-CLASH-CLISH-CLASH again, with The Bride killing or hacking the limbs of one unlucky dance partner at each encounter - Sometimes during the separation, The Bride crouches down low in repose while the others continue to circle stalk...THEN...She Strikes again. The owner stood by the junction box, flips a switch turning the lights back on. The electricity shines light on... The Bride saw one was left was just a man with no mask. The Bride walked up and started to cut off pieces of the blade of his sword when none was left, the man dropped the sword and held it hands up in fear. The Bride grabbed him, put him over her knee and started to spank him with her sword. "This is what you get for fucking around with yakuzas! Go home to your mother!" The man got up, and ran away crying and holding his sore butt! Just then the leader came out but the Bride wasted him easily. Apparently, no one taught him not to scream when it comes to sneak attacks for the Bride stabbed him then toss him over into the already blood red pool. The Bride had blood splashed everywhere. Blood painting the floor, walls and ceiling. Dead bodies, several limbs, and horribly wounded men who have yet to die, litter the ground. With a big "Whoosh" in the air, the blood of O-Ren's subordinates fly off the avenger's blade. Then saying to the foes that litter the ground, "Those of you lucky enough to still have your lives…take them with you! However…leave the limbs you lost. They belong to me now." Then she saw Sofia crawl away. "Except you Sofie! You stay right where you are."

As the owner was crying over the mess of the battle, though she nearly slipped cause of her heels walking on blood, the Bride walked into O-Ren's room and then walked outside. It was a garden, with a fountain and it was snowing. O-Ren was walking nearly at the other side of the garden. "Your instrument is quite impressive." said O-Ren. "Where was it made?"

The Bride answered, "Okinawa."

O-Ren asked, "Whom in Okinawa made you this steel?"

The Bride answered, "This is Hattori Hanzo steel."

O-Ren yelled, "YOU LIE!" The Bride shook her head and showed O-Ren the symbol on the sword. O-Ren scoffed and said, "Swords however, never get tired. I hope you saved your energy. If you haven't…you might not last 5 minutes. But as last looks go, you could do worse."

As snow falls around them, they stand the correct distance from one another. The Bride holds out her sword in front of her...Tip of Blade pointed at O-Ren...Sword's Handle and her Fingers wrapped around that handle, up by her cheek...Her eyes are Reflected on the Blade...Snow falls around her. O-Ren begins walking forward towards the Bride...She raises up her Sword, still in its sheath, in front of her face vertically...then begins slowly unsheathing it...Snow falls around her. O-Ren's white socks free of her wooden clogs, walks forward, crunching snow underneath them...

When O-Ren's Sword is fully unsheathed, the Japanese combat artist holds both arms straight out at her sides, Sword in one hand - Wood sheath in the other, like a bird... ...The Two Women circle each other... They SWING - CLASH - DANCE -SEPARATE...CIRCLE...SWING -CLASH - DANCE - SEPARATE... O-Ren leaps in the air do a Somersault over the Bride's head, landing behind her opponent. She brings her Sword down in a Slashing Swing...Splashing the Bride across her back making the Bride fall on the ground. O-Ren laughs; "Silly Chinese girl likes to play with samurai swords. You may not be able to fight like a samurai, but you can at least die like a samurai, you Lady Snowblood wannabe."

The Bride got up from the ground. She brings up her sword and says calmly to O-Ren in Japanese; "Attack me…with everything you have." The Two Women Clash Swords furiously, their attack ends with The Bride's Striking O-Ren - not fatally - but deep. They separate... ...breathing hard...Cold Air coming out of their mouths like two locomotives... O-Ren looks down to her wound, then back up to The Bride. The respect for the Bride's ability is transparent.

The Two Women Circle Stalk each other again... Blood trail dripping down legs staining White Socks with red. "For ridiculing you earlier…I apologize."

The Bride said, "Accepted." They continue breathing... "Ready?"

O-Ren said, "Come on." The two women circle each other for their final attack. With all the quickness and skill at their command, they clash in a superb display of Samurai Swordplay...TILL...They Find themselves on opposite sides of a garden wall... ...The Bride and O-Ren both begin Running diagonally through the snow, Swords held up high, facing each other, Continuing to run even after they passed the wall, Screaming their Samurai hearts out... UNTIL... They both SWING... ...can't tell who got whom... A scalp of long, black hair flies through the air, landing in the white snow. O-Ren dropped her sword. O-Ren said, "That really was a Hattori Hanzo sword…" It turns out that O-Ren doesn't have the top of her head on. A touch of her brain was exposed. The Queen of the Tokyo Underworld, whom regime has just ended with one swing, stares off into space. O-Ren landed on her knees and then went to the ground.

The Bride turn her head to see O-Ren dead and then walked to a stone bench to catch her breath. As she breathed the tattoos of her black glowed and it healed her wounds. Then her eye's un-slit as she said, "Try to make the healing less painful guys. It hurts more than the fight."

Later on, the Bride was on her suit with helmet on and closed the trunk door where Sofie was in. Soon enough the car arrived at the top of the hill near a hospital. The trunk opened and Sofie was thrown to the ground as she tumbled down the hill in front of the hospital. She was soon taken care of and as she recovered her boss, Michael, was behind her. "Sofie." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Sofie. My Sofie. I'm so sorry."

Sofie said crying, "Please. Please forgive my betrayal."

Michael gently caresses her face. "No more of that."

Sofie said, "But still…"

Michael interrupted her. "But still nothing. Except my aching heart over what she's done to my beautiful and brilliant Sofie."

Sofie remembered what happened before the tumble. It was just before the Bride closed the trunk. The Bride said through her helmet, "I've kept you alive for 2 reasons. The first reason is information."

Sofie yelled, "Burn in Hell, you stupid, stupid mu ye cha. I'll tell you nothing."

The Bride said, "But I am gonna ask you questions. And every time you don't give me answers, I'm gonna cut something off. And I promise you, they will be things you will miss! Give me your other arm!" Once she complied the Bride said, "I want all the information on the Deadly Vipers."

Michael was talking to Sofie but she still remembers the Bride's words. "If you had to guess…

"What they've been doing."

"Why she left you alive…"

"And where I can find them."

"What would be your guess?"

Sofie said, "Guessing won't be necessary. She informed me. She said I could keep my wicked life for 2 reasons."

She remembers back to the last words she heard from the Bride. "As I said before, I've allowed you to keep your wicked life for 2 reasons. And the second reason is so you can tell him, in person, everything that happened here tonight. I want him to witness the extent of my mercy by witnessing your deformed body. I want you to tell him all the information you just told me. I want him to know what I know. I want him to know I want him to know. And I want them all to know they'll all soon be as dead as O-Ren."

Earlier, before the fight with the 88, the Bride was in the plane making her hit list. The title and the numbers were in black, the names in red. She remembers what Hattori Hanzo said to her. "Revenge is never a straight line. It's a forest. And like a forest it's easy to lose your way…to get lost…to forget where you came in."

" _That woman deserves her revenge. And we deserve to die._ "

" _She must suffer to her last breath._ "

" _How did you find me?_ "

" _I'm the man._ "

Then Michael asked Sofie, "One more thing, Sofie. Is she aware her daughter is still alive?"


	12. Massacre at Two Pines

_**Chapter 11: Massacre at Two Pines**_

The incident that happened at the Two Pines Wedding Chapel that put this whole gory story into motion has since become legend. 'Massacre at Two Pines.' That's what the newspapers called it. The local TV news called it, 'The El Paso, Texas Wedding Chapel Massacre.' How it happened, who was there, how many got killed and who killed them – changes depending on who's telling the story. In actual fact, the massacre didn't happen during a wedding at all. It was a wedding rehearsal. Inside the Chapel was the pregnant Bride, her 4 friends, her fiancé, the reverend, and his wife. "Now, when we come to the part where I say, 'You may kiss the bride,' you may kiss the bride. but don't stick your tongue in her mouth." Everyone laughed as the couple looked at each other. "This might be funny to your friends, but it would be embarrassing to your parents." The laughter continues.

The Bride said, "We'll try to restrain ourselves, Reverend."

Then they heard the pianist. "Y'all got a song?" Everyone looked at him. The couple shook their heads. "How about 'Love Me Tender'? I can play that."

The Bride said, "Love Me Tender would be great."

The Reverend said, "Rufus – he's the man. Rufus, who was that, that you used to play for?"

Rufus replied, "I was a Drell. I was a Drifter. I was a Coaster. I was part of the Gang. I was a Barkay. If they come through Texas, I done played with 'em."

The Reverend said, "Rufus – he's the man." Then he asked his wife, "Have I forgotten anything?"

The wife replied, "Oh yes, you forgot uh, the seating arrangements."

He said, "Thank you, Mother."

"Yes."

The Reverend said, "Now, the way we normally do this – we have the brides side, and the we have the groom's side. But since the bride ain't got nobody comin', and the groom's got far too many people comin'…"

Then one of the girls said, "Well, yeah, they've comin' all the way from Oklahoma." Everyone laughed.

"Right. Well, I don't see a problem with the groom's side sharing the bride's side. Do you, Mother?"

"I don't have a problem with that. But, uh…"

"Honey, you know, it would be good if you had somebody come. You know, as a sign of good faith?"

The Bride was hesitant but said, "Well, I don't have anybody…except for Tommy and my friends."

The wife asked, "You have no family?"

The Bride replied, "Well, I'm workin' on changing that."

Another girl said, "Mrs. Harmony, we're all the family this little angel's ever gonna need."

The Bride turned to the girls and said, "I'm not feeling very well, and this bitch is starting to piss me off. So, while y'all blather on, I'm gonna go outside and get some air."

Then she stood up. "Ok. Um, uh, Reverend, sorry, uh…"

Her friends defended her. "She's gonna go out and get some air."

"Yeah. Give her delicate condition…"

"She just needs a few minutes to get it together. She'll be OK."

As the Bride walked to the doorway of the chapel she heard a certain flute and knew who it was. She turned around making sure that she wasn't fallowed and with her heart beating hard, she walked outside and saw Michael sitting outside with his flute. When the music was over, the 2 looked at each other. To Michael, even pregnant, he was looking at the most beautiful woman in the world. "Hello, Kiddo." he said.

The Bride asked, "How did you find me?"

Michael replied, "I'm the man."

The Bride asked, "What are you doin' here?"

Michael repeated the question. "What am I doin'? Well…moment ago I was playin' my flute." Then he stood up and walked to her. "At this moment…I'm lookin' at the most beautiful bride these old eyes have ever seen."

The Bride asked, "Why are you here?"

He replied, "Last look."

The Bride asked, "Are you gonna be nice?"

Michael replied, "I've never been nice in my whole life. But I'll do my best to be sweet."

The Bride walked up to him. "I always told you…your sweet side is your best side."

Michael said, "I guess that's why you're the only one who's ever seen it. Do you got a bun in the oven?"

The Bride nodded. "I'm knocked up."

"Jeeze, Louise." said Michael.

The Bride giggled a bit. "I know. If mom and dad see me now, I would be in deep shit."

Michael asked, "That young man of yours sure doesn't believe in wasting time, does he?" He gently started to rub her stomach. At first the Bride was scared but kept calm for her baby.

The Bride asked, "Have you seen Tommy?"

Michael asked, "Bug guy in the tux?"

"Yes."

"Then I saw him." he said. "I like his hair."

The Bride said, "You promised you'd be nice."

Michael said, "No, I said I'd do my best. That's hardly a promise. but you're right. What does your young man do for a living?"

The Bride replied, "He owns a used record store here in El Paso."

"Ah. Music lover, eh?"

"He's fond of music."

"Aren't we all?" After a brief silence, he asked. "And what are you doing for a J-O-B these days?"

The Bride replied, "I work in the record store."

Michael said, "Also. It all suddenly seems so clear. Do you like it?"

The Bride replied, "Yeah. I like it a lot, smartass. I get to listen to music all day…talk about music all day. It's really cool. It's gonna be a great environment for my girl to grow up in."

Michael asked, "As opposed to jetting around the world, killing human beings, and being paid vast sums of money?"

The Bride said, "Precisely."

Michael said, "Well, my old friend…to each his own. However, all cockblockery aside…I am looking forward to meeting your young man. I happen to be, more or less, particular whom my gal marries."

The Bride asked, "You want to come to the wedding?"

Michael said, "Only if I can sit on the bride's side."

The Bride smiled. "You'll find it a bit lonely on my side."

Michael said, "Your side always was a bit lonely. But I wouldn't sit anywhere else. You know…I had the loveliest dream about you…"

But then the Bride soon interrupted him. "Oh, here's Tommy!" He whispered to him. "Call my Xin."

They walked in as the 2 men shook hands. "You must be Tommy!" said Michael.

He replied, "Uh huh."

Michael said, "Xin's told me so much about you. Honey, you OK?"

The Bride said, "Oh, I'm fine. Tommy, I'd like you to meet my father."

Tommy asked, "Father? But he's Italian, you're Chinese."

Michael put his arm around her. "Let's just say I had a wild past with women."

Tommy shook his hand again. "I'm so glad to meet you, sir…uh, Dad."

Michael said, "The name's Michael."

Tommy said, "Well, it's great to meet you…Michael. Xin told me you couldn't make it."

Michael said, "Surprise."

The Bride said, "That's my pop for ya. Always full of surprises."

Michael said, "Well, in the surprise department…the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Tommy asked, "When did you get in?"

Michael replied, "Just now."

Tommy asked, "Did you come straight from Italy?"

"Of course."

The Bride said, "Daddy, I told Tommy that you were in mining for silver and…no one could reach you."

Michael said, "Lucky for us all, that's not the case. So…What's this all about? I've heard of wedding rehearsals, but I don't believe I've ever heard of a wedding dress rehearsal before."

Tommy said, "We thought, 'Why pay so much money for a dress you're only gonna wear once?' Especially when Xin looks so goddamn beautiful in it. So, I think we're gonna try to get all the mileage we can out of it."

Michael held the Bride's hand. "Isn't it supposed to be bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony?"

Tommy said, "Well, I guess I just believe in living dangerously."

Michael said, "I know just what you mean."

The Reverend yelled, "Son. Some of us have places to be."

Rufus said, "Sure do."

Tommy said, "Look, we got to go through this one more time. So, why don't you have a s…" Then he got a better idea. "Oh my God. What am I thinking? You should give her away!"

The Bride grew a bit scared. "Tommy, that's not exactly Daddy's cup of tea. I think father would be much more comfortable sitting with the rest of the guest."

"Hmm. Really?" asked Tommy.

Michael said, "That's asking a lot."

Tommy said, "Oh. OK. Well, forget it. But how about we go out to dinner tonight to celebrate?"

Michael said, "Only on the condition that I pay for everything."

Tommy said, "Deal. We got to do this now."

Michael asked, "Can I watch?"

Tommy said, "Absolutely. Have a seat."

Michael asked, "Which is the bride's side?"

Tommy pointed to the left. "Right over here."

Michael walked to a pew as the 2 walked up to the alter. "Mother here we go! Now son, about them vows…"

The Bride walked back to Michael. "Michael…I just want…"

Michael said, "You don't owe me a damn thing. If he's the man you want…then go stand by him." The Bride smiled and kissed him.

Then the Bride put on her veil and asked, "Do I look pretty?"

Michael said, "Oh, yes." Then she kissed him again.

"Thank you." Then she walked back up to the alter. As the rehearsal went on, Michael was watching and outside of the chapel 4 people walked up with weapons. It was the Deadly Vipers. As soon as they walked in, gunfire was heard including screaming. It lasts all by a couple of seconds before it was over…including the last shot.


	13. The Lonely Grave of Paula Schultz

_**Chapter 12: The Lonely Grave of Paula Schultz**_

The city of Austin, Texas

A small camper trailer sits all by its lonesome in the middle of a barren Texas wasteland. Sitting on the steps of the trailer was Michael's brother Fredo. Not the slick Fredo with the black suit and the silver-tipped black cowboy boots we saw earlier at the wedding chapel massacre. No, the Fredo now is the Fredo who climbed into a bottle five years ago, got himself comfortable, and decided to live there. Michael was there and he just told Fredo what just happened in Japan. "You telling' me she cut her way through 88 bodyguards before she got to O-Ren?" asked Fredo.

Michael said, "Nah, there wasn't really 88 of 'em. They just called themselves 'The Crazy 88'."

Fredo asked, "How come?"

Michael said, "I don't know. I guess they thought it sounded cool." Fredo laughed. "Anyhow, they all fell under her Hanzo sword."

Fredo asked, "She got a Hanzo sword?"

Michael replied, "He made one for her."

Fredo was still confused. "Didn't he swear a blood oath to never make another sword?"

Michael said, "It would appear he has broken it."

Fredo put his spit can away. Since 4 years ago, he left the Italian way and went to the Texas way including cowboy hats. "Them Japs sure know how to hold a grudge, don't they? Or in this case your Chinese ex." He laughed a bit. "Or maybe…you just tend to bring that out in people."

Michael asked, "I know this is a ridiculous question before I ask it, but you haven't, by any chance, kept up with your…swordplay or shooting?"

Fredo shook his head. "Haven't picked up a gun in a while and I pawned the sword years ago."

Michael grew upset. "You hocked a Hattori Hanzo sword?"

Fredo nodded. "Yep."

"It was priceless."

Fredo laughed. "Well, not in El Paso, it ain't. In El Paso, I got me $250 for it. I'm a bouncer in a titty bar, Michael. My Mafia days are over. But if she wants to fight me, all she's got to do is come down to the club and start some shit, and we'll be in a fight."

Michael sighs and put his hand on the trailer wall. "I know we haven't spoken in some time, and the last time we spoke wasn't the most pleasant, but you've got to get over being mad at me, and start becoming afraid of her, because she's coming and she's coming to kill you. And unless you accept my assistance, I have no doubt she will succeed."

Fredo was silent at first and said, "I don't dodge guilt, and I don't Jew out of paying my comeuppance."

Michael asked, "Can't we just…forget the past?"

Then Fredo said something philological. "That woman…deserves her revenge. And…we deserve to die." Then he said jokily, "But then again…so does she. So, I guess…we'll just see. Won't we?"

That night, the My-oh-my Club, is the sleazy tatty bar that Fredo works at. His job is tossin out the riff-raff that's worse than him, out on their ear - minus a few of the teeth they had when they came in. His beat-to-shit pickup truck pulls up to the front, and he climbs out of the automobile. He walked inside and it was completely empty. No tripping, no drinks, just employees playing around. As he walked up to the bar, the bartender said, "Late again. Fredo, can't you tell time?"

Fredo said, "There ain't nobody in here, man."

Then everyone heard the owner yelling from his office. "IS that Fredo?"

The bartender said, "Yeah."

The owner yelled, "Tell him to get his fucking ass back here!"

The bartender smiled smugly at Fredo. "OK. Fredo, Larry's like a word with ya."

Fredo walked in Larry's office where he and another stripper were snorting. "Take a shot. Be somebody, baby."

Fredo asked, "You looking for me?"

Larry saw Fredo. "I don't know what car wash you worked before you came here that let you stroll in 20minutes late, but it wasn't owned by me and I own a fuckin' car wash."

The stripper asked, "Do you want me to leave?"

Larry said, "No, I don't want you to leave. I want you to sit and wait."

Fredo said, "Larry…there ain't nobody out there, so…"

Larry didn't like that. "'There's nobody out there, Larry'. What's your point? That you're not needed here?"

Fredo said, "My point is…I'm the bouncer, and there ain't nobody out there to bounce."

Larry asked, "You saying that the reason…that you're not doing the job that I'm…paying you to do is that you don't have a job to do?"

Fredo said, "No—"

But Larry interrupted him. "Is that what you're saying? What are you trying to convince me of, exactly? That you're as useless as an asshole right here? Well, guess what, buddy? I think…you just fucking convinced me." Then he got a black marker. "Let's go to the calendar. It's calendar time. Calendar time for Fredo. OK. you working tomorrow?"

Fredo said, "Yeah."

Larry rolled his eyes. "Mm. No, you're n…You don't even know what fucking day you work. Here. You're not working tomorrow. You're working Wednesday. Here you are. There you go." He crossed out his name. "Workin' Thursday?"

Fredo said, "Yeah."

Larry did the same. "I don't think so. Friday. I do…There's your name."

Fredo said, "If you say to."

"There used to by your name. OK?" He crossed out all of Fredo's name. "Saturday. There used to be your name."

His own boss defeated Fredo. Even Michael was kinder than this guy. "Oh."

"Uh, Monday…Here. How about that?" Larry capped the marker and threw it on the table. "Fuckin with your cash is the only thing you kids seem to understand. OK? Now, I want you to go home till I call you. Till I call you. Before you leave, talk to Rocket. She's got a job for you to do." Then he saw Fredo's hat. "And…the hat. That fucking hat. That fucking… How many times have I told you, don't wear that fucking hat here? How many?"

Fredo laughed and said, "Customers wear hats."

Larry said, "Well, I'm not the boss of the customers. I'm the boss of you. And I'm telling you…that I want you to keep that shit-kicker hat at home."

Fredo took off the hat, left the office, and went to the bar. Soon enough another stripper, Rocket, walked up to him. "Yeah. Fredo, honey, uh, the toilet is at it again. There's a shitty water all over the floor."

Fredo said, "OK…Rocket. I'll clean it up."

Later that night, Fredo pulls his pickup truck in front of his small camper home. He walks inside, shutting the door behind him. Under the trailer was the Bride wither her Hattori Hanzo's samurai sword. From inside the trailer, she heard the needle being lifted off the phonograph. From a distance, the shadowy figure of Fredo looking out the window of the camper. The Bride keeps her face in the dirt. The figure of Fredo at the window, seems to dismiss the sound he heard for what it was - a rat meeting its end at the claws of a cat. The curtain closes again. The needle is placed back on the phonograph. The Bride counted as she looked up towards the trailer...All's clear...She begins crawling towards the trailer again. ...She's now right outside the trailer home...she can hear the sound of Fredo sitting in a chair rocking back and forth. She hears the sound of a screw top unscrewed...The sound of pouring in a glass...The sound of a glass being laid heavy on a table. Crouched low on the balls of her feet, she, with great care, slowly and silently unsheathes her Hanzo sword. Through the bottom slit in the door, she sees the distorted image of Fredo's feet on the floor. She slowly rises...sword in right hand...left hand grabs the front doorknob... QUICK as a Texas lizard on glass - She brings the sword's handle down hard on the door lock - Cheap Lock Busting. She flings the front door open... Brother Fredo sitting calmly in a rocking chair, moving back and forth to the Texas twang on his turntable, cradling a double-barrel shotgun aimed right at The Bride. The Bride Blinks. Both barrels blast at the Bride standing in the doorway is hit smack dab in the chest, and propelled through the air backwards. Landing hard on her back in the dirt. Fredo casually rises from his rocking chair and lifts the needle off the phonograph, cutting off the music. Then with shotgun in hand, stands in the doorway of the trailer looking down at The Bride. The Bride laid out in the dirt below him - Sword separated from her grasp - Bloody mess down her front - Groan from her throat. Fredo steps down from the trailer onto the dirt, standing over The Bride. "Bet your sweet ass that don't sting like a bitch." More groans coming out of the blood splattered Bride. "You done got a double dose of rock salt, right in the ole tit. Now not havin tits as fine or as big as yours, I can't even imagine how bad that shit stings..." He lowers down on his haunches, over her. "...But I don't want to neither." The Bride, hurting and incapacitated from the shotgun blast, still nevertheless defiant, spits a gob of bloody saliva, right in ole Fredo's face. Fredo, gob of spit running down on his cheek and nose. The cowboy removes a red bandana from his back pocket, and wipes away the goo. Then his eyeballs go down to the spitter. "Now I know when it comes to a rock salt burn, you're feelin pretty much like an expert bout now. But truth be told, you ain't felt all rock salts got to offer till you took a double dose in your backside." With the help of his cowboy boot he rolls The Bride over onto her stomach, exposing her butt. He then got a shot and injected whatever it was in her butt. The Bride screamed and then knocked out. Then knocking down a swig of Jack Daniels, he removes a small silver cell phone from his pants pocket, raises the antenna, and presses one button on the panel.

Elsewhere a six-foot tall, long-haired blonde with the codename "California Mountain Snake," was at her house. She heard her phone and answered it. "Michael?"

"Wrong brother you hateful bitch."

"Fredo?"

"Bingo."

"And what do I owe this dubious pleasure?"

"I just caught me the cowgirl, ain't never been caught."

This gets Elle's attention. "Do you mean what I think you mean?"

"If you think I mean I got 'er, you thought right."

"Did you kill her?"

"Not yet I ain't. But I can sure do it easy enough. She's so gentle right now, I could perform her coup de grace with a rock."

"What are you waiting for, run outta liquid courage."

"No. It's just...I ain't killed nobody in a long Goddamn time. And just 'tween you, me, and Jesus Christ, kinda made me a promise I wasn't gonna. Be that however it is. Back when I did kill people...I got paid for it. Just don't seem right...turn amateur this time of life. Any who, guess what I'm holdin in my hand right now." He was holding is The Bride's Hattori Hanzo sword. "A brand spankin new Hattori Hanzo sword. And I'm here to tell ya Elle, that's what I call sharp."

"How much?"

"Oh, that's hard to say. Seein it's priceless and all."

"I'll give you a hundred thousand dollars for it."

"I'm sure you would. But I'll take, one million."

"Jeez Fredo, who'd ever guess you were such a capitalist. I thought drunks like yourself were beyond such monetary concerns?"

"Well Elle, a million dollars buys a whole lotta Jack."

"Why then are you selling it to a hateful bitch like me, when you know Michael would pay more?"

"If I'm gonna drink myself to death, ...it won't be on Michael's dollar. It's gonna be on yours.

"What's the terms?"

"You buy a ticket to Texas, and I'll see you here tomorrow mornin. You give me a million in foldin cash, I'll give you the greatest sword ever made by a man. How's that sound?"

"Sounds like we got a deal. One condition."

"What?"

"You kill her tonight. And one more thing."

"You said one condition."

"It's a caveat to the same condition."

"What?"

"She must suffer to her last breath."

"That Elle darlin, I can pretty damn well guarantee."

"Then I'll see you in the morning millionaire."

At a spooky Texas graveyard, someone was digging up a grave. Fredo's beat-to-shit pickup is in the shot too. Its headlight beams shining on the man. And last but not least, The Bride, bound and gagged, lying in the flatbed of Fredo's pickup. She begins to come to from the shot. Some dried blood lies caked around her wounds. Rope binds her wrists tightly together in front of her. A big leather cowboy belt is wrapped tight around her cherry brown cowboy boots. Her eyelids flutter open...and she sees stars. A giant, black Texas night sky full of them. She has no idea where she is. She turns her head to the left and sees, back window and cab of truck. She turns her head to the right and sees, hatch gate to flatbed. She listens...she hears, crickets...The sound of someone digging...Then someone unlocking the truck. She looks up and saw Fredo. "Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey." The grabs her by her collar, and yanks her out of the truck. She falls to the dirt hard. Once in the dirt, The Bride sees an Old Coffin that's been dug up. Next to it, is a brand new pine box coffin, straight out of "Fistful of Dollars." And a freshly dug grave, with a pile of dirt next to it, in front of an old tombstone that reads; "PAULA SCHULTZ."

When the man was done digging he yelled out, "I'm done! Get me outta this hole!" Fredo helped him out and got the latter out. Then the 2 walked over to the Bride. "Whoa, look at those eyes. The bitch is furious. What did I tell ya?"

Fredo said, "Is she the cutest little Chinese pussy you ever saw?" The man laughed. "Or…is she the cutest little Chinese pussy you ever saw?"

The man said, "I seen better."

Fredo asked, "You got nothing to say?" The Bride was silent.

The man said, "White women call this 'the silent treatment'. And we let 'em think we don't like it."

Fredo said, "You grab her feet, I'll get her head." The two fiends laugh, then bend down to lift The Bride and carry her over to the pine box. She struggles with her bound legs and arms...Both men drop her to the ground. Fredo whips out a can of mace from his pocket. "Hey hey hey, wiggle worm, look at this." He holds the can of mace spray by her eyes. She stops. Her eyes go to the nozzle of the spray can, then to Fredo. "Looky here bitch, this is a can of mace. Now you're goin underground tonight, and that's all there is to it. But, when I bury ya, I was gonna bury you with this." He removes a flashlight from behind his back and turns on the beam. "But if you're gonna act like a horse's ass, I'll spray this whole Goddamn can in your eyeballs. Then you'll be blind, burnin, and buried alive. So, what's it gonna be sister?" Her eyes move to the right, indicating the flashlight. "You may be stupid, but at least you ain't bloody stupid." The two men lift up The Bride, and carry her over to the pine box and place her in. Fredo puts the flashlight inside. He picks up the pine lid, and is just about to place it over the coffin...when...He locks eyeballs with The Bride... ...her eyes hold his for as long as she can to say, "This is for breaking my brother's heart." Then... ...he places the lid over her face, closing the coffin. Then… ...with a hammer and nails the two men seal the coffin shut.

Inside the coffin it was dark, excerpt for the cracks of light seeping through between the lid and the box. However, with each nail pounded in, more lights is cut off...till ...the only light left, is the crack by The Bride's head. The last hammered nail obliterates that light source. The Bride lies in total darkness. The two men lift the pine box, and set it in the grave. Fredo scoops up a shovel full of dirt...Inside the box, the Bride turn on the flashlight. BAM... ...a shovel of dirt has just landed hard on the lid, making the Bride jump... BAM… ...More dirt. She reacts again. BAM... The dirt just keeps falling, the bams becoming softer with each new shovelful. The Bride is starting to perspire...her breathing becoming more rapid and panicked...her heartbeat begins to echo inside the pine box. Fredo and the other guy finished filling the grave. The old coffin, with the body of Paula Schultz, in the back of the flatbed.


	14. The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei

_**Chapter 13: The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mei**_

Back when the Bride first started, Michael and the Bride were in China in the at the mountain range. Michael was playing his flute and the Bride was on her sleeping bag with a fire to keep them warm. Then he started to tell a story. "Once upon a time in China, some believe around the year, one-double knot-three. A...head priest of The White Lotus Clan, Pai Mei, was walking down the road, contemplating whatever a man with Pai Mei's infinite power would contemplate - Which is another way of saying, who knows. When, a Shaolin monk appeared on the road traveling in the opposite direction. As the monk and the priest crossed paths...Pai Mei - in a practically unfathomable display of generosity, gave the monk the slightest of nods. The nod, was not returned. Was it the intention of the Shaolin monk to insult Pai Mei? Or, did he just fail to see the generous social gesture? The motives of the monk, remain, unknown. What is known, were the consequences. The next morning Pai Mei appeared at the Shaolin Temple, and demanded that the temple's head Abbot offer Pai Mei his neck, to repay the insult. The Abbot, at first, tried to console Pai Mei, only to find, Pai Mei was inconsolable. So, began, the massacre of the Shaolin Temple, and all sixty of the monks inside, at the fists of the White Lotus. And so began, the legend of Pai Mei's Five-Point Palm - Exploding Heart Technique."

The Bride asked, "And what pray-tell, is a five-point palm - exploding heart technique?"

Michael said, "Quite simply, the deadliest blow in all of the martial arts. He hits you with his fingertips, at five different pressure points on your body. And then, he lets you walk away. But once you've taken five steps, your heart explodes inside your body, and you fall to the dead."

The Bride asked, "Did he teach you that?"

Michael answered, "No. He teaches no one the five-point palm - exploding heart technique. But he is Nietzsche's psalm personified. If Pai Mei doesn't kill you, he will make you stronger. Now one of the things I always liked about you, Kiddo, is you appear wise beyond your years. Then allow me to impart, a word to wise. Whatever - WHAT - EVER - Pai Mei says, Obey. If you flash him - even for an instant – a defiant eye, he'll pluck it out. And if you throw any American sass his way, he will snap your back and your neck like they were twigs, and that will be the story of you." He went back to play his flute as the Bride lay down.

The next morning, at the big stone staircase, Bride sits in the jeep, by herself, parked in front of the Priest Pai Mei's home located high up on top of White Lotus Mountain. For over 100 years, his home used to be the temple of the White Lotus Clan, and he was the temple's head priest. The temple served as a home to over 60 priests and disciples. But now - the year 1990 - the White Lotus Clan is no more. All the priests have died. All that remains, is a very old man, who once upon a time, some worshipped as a god and some feared as a devil...neither was wrong. A huge stone staircase of one hundred steps climb up a hill leading to Pei Mei's home. Michael climbs down to the jeep black and blue. "He'll accept you as his student."

The Bride asked, "What happened to you?"

Michael replied, "Nothing."

The Bride asked, "Get in a fight?"

"Friendly contest."

She climbs out, and gets her bag out of the back. "Why did he accept me?"

Michael gave her, her stuff. "Because he's a very very very old man. And like all rotten bastards, when they get old, they become lonely. Not that that has any effect on their disposition. But they do learn the value of company." Michael casts a glance at the stone steps he just descended. "Just seeing those steps again makes me ache. You're gonna have plenty of fun carrying buckets of water up and down that fucker."

Michael got in the truck as the Bride walked up to him. "When will I see you again?"

Michael said, "That's the title of my favorite soul song of the Seventies."

"What?" asked the Bride.

"Nothing. When he tells me you're done."

"When do you think that might be?"

"That my dearest, all depends on you. Now remember, no backtalk, no sarcasm. Least not for the first year. You're going to have to let him warm up for you. He hates Caucasians, despises Americans, and has nothing but contempt for women, so in your case, that may take a little while but not long since you're Chinese. Adios."

The jeep speeds off down the road…leaving the Bride all alone, somewhere in the middle of China. She begins the journey before her by ascending the 100 steps to Pai Mei. The huge temple is exactly like it must have been a hundred years ago, except now it's empty and dusty. The Bride enters, s he's winded from climbing up those fuckin steps. Once at the top, the Bride saw him sittin. She approaches the old man, reaches the edge of his sitting area in front of the scrim, lowers to one knee and bows her head. "Master…"

Pai Mei said, "Your Mandarin is lousy. I can't understand a single word you say. It causes my ears discomfort. You bray like an ass! You are not to speak unless spoken to. Is it too much to hope – you understand Cantonese?"

The Bride said, "I speak Japanese very well –"

Pai Mei interrupted her. "I didn't ask if you speak Japanese, I asked if you understand Cantonese?"

The Bride said, "A little."

Pai Mei said, "You are here to learn the mysteries of Kung Fu, not linguistics. If you can't understand me, I will communicate with you like I would a dog. When I yell, when I point, When I beat you with my stick!" Her head remains bowed, eyes to the floor. "Michael is your master, is he not?"

The Bride answered, "Yes, he is."

Pai Mei said, "Your master tells me you're not entirely unschooled. What training do you possess?"

The Bride answered, "I am proficient in a combination of Tiger - Crane style. And I am more than proficient in the exquisite art of the Samurai Sword."

Pai Mei snorted. "The exquisite art of the samurai sword. Don't make me laugh! Your so called exquisite art, is only fit for Japanese fat heads!" Then he started to laugh to himself, and strokes his long white beard... "Your anger amuses me. Do you believe you are my match?"

"No."

"Are you aware I kill at will?"

"Yes."

"Is it your wish to die?"

"No."

Pai Mei laughs again. "Then you must be stupid…so stupid. Rise, and let me look at your ridiculous face. Rise" She rises. "So my pathetic friend…is there anything that you can do well? What's a matter? Cat got your tongue? Oh yes, you speak Japanese. I despise the Goddamn Japs!" He pointed to a weapon rack. "Go to that rack." The Bride put down her backpack next to her stuff and walked over to the rack and stopped for the next order. "Remove the sword." The Bride removes a large heavy steel Chinese Sword. Pai Mei rises from his sitting position, for the first time, parts the scrim, and approaches the Bride. "Let's see how good you really are. If you land a single blow, I'll bow down and call you master." The Bride doesn't need a second invitation, she ATTACKS with the sword. He deftly moves out of the way. The fighting style is now like an old Shaw Brothers film, with Pai Mei dodging at will all of her rapid sword slashes. Quick and skillful as her moves are, they're also full of Effort and Frustration. While Pai Mei effortlessly moves out of the sword's path. She tries more... He strikes her with a blow to her chest, that sends her flying. She attacks with a wild cat's fury. He hops and ducks and dodges her sword easily. He leaps high up in the air and lands standing on the Blade of her Sword. The Bride looks down the blade of her sword and can't believe it. Pai Mei smiles at her and says; "From here you can get an excellent view of my foot." He does a BACKFLIP off the sword, kicking the Bride in the face in mid-somersault sending her back a bit. He laughs as he says, "Your swordsmanship is amateur at best." The Bride tries again but he easily caught the sword and pushed her against a tree. He laughs again. "Your so-called kung-fu is really quite pathetic." He threw the sword and it landed perfectly back on the rack. "I asked you to demonstrate—what you know—and you did…Not a goddamn thing! Let's see your Tiger Crane match my Eagles' Claw." The Bride brushed of the leaves and stood stance. She attacks him again. She attacks, he dodges, she attacks, he bocks. When she got him by the neck, she pushed it away with ease and when she kicked him in the balls he felt no pain. Balls of steel for sure. He twirls around and laughs. While his back was turn, the Bride picked up a rock to hit him but with little effort on his part, he reaches out and grabs her wrist, twists...She's on the floor, with her arm stuck out in the air behind her, her wrist still between his fingers. He could literally break her arm in half. He tossed the rock out of the way. He TWISTS her wrist... ...The pain is excruciating… "Like all yankee women, the only thing you know how to do is order in restaurants and spend a man's money. Excruciating – isn't it?"

He twists more... She cries out. "Yes!"

Pai Mei said, "If it was my wish…I could chop your arm off."

The Bride yelled, "No please don't!"

Pai Mei said, "It's my arm now. I can do with it what I please. If you can stop me, I suggest you try."

The Bride yelled, "I can't!"

"Because you're helpless?"

"Yes!"

"Have you ever felt this before?"

"No!

"Compared to me you're as helpless as a worm fighting an eagle?"

"Yes!"

After a brief silence, he yelled, "THAT'S THE BEGINNING!" He lets go of her wrist. She cradles her still-throbbing arm as she was on the ground. "Is it your wish to possess this kind of power?"

The Bride said, "Yes."

Pai Mei said, "You're training will begin tomorrow." Then he left but after a minute or so he walked back. "By the way, welcome home granddaughter."

Shan let out a breath of relief. "You nearly ripped my arm off. Thought you wouldn't recognize me."

Pai Mei said, "Shameful thinking." He helped her up. "To think a grandfather wouldn't recognize his own granddaughter."

The walked together. Shan asked, "So what do you think of my acting?"

Pai Mei said, "To be honest…Michael Bay worthy."

Shan looked at him dumbfounded. "Hey I acted WAY better than any of those assholes in his films."

Pai Mei said, "M. Night Shyamalan. You ticked me off!"

The next day, it was time for training. Pai Mei stood in front of a wood wall three inches in front of him. His right fist is cocked back by his breastplate, he's concentrating on a certain spot on the wall. The Bride stands behind him, watching. He lets out a scream, and puts his fist through the wall. He turns to the new student; "Since your arm now belongs to me, I want it strong. Can you do that?"

Shan replied, "I can, but not that close."

Pai Mei yelled, "Then you can't do it!" Then he asked, "What if your enemy is three inches in front of you, what do you do then? Curl into a ball? Or do you put your fist through him." He hits the wall again leaving another hole. "Now begin." Then he left. The Bride takes her place in front of the wall. She hits it. Only managing to stain the wall with the blood from her scraped knuckles. Then again. And again... When she stopped a bit, she heard Pai Mei. "It's the wood that should fear your hand – not the other way around. No wonder you can't do it – you acquiesce to defeat – before you even begin." Then he left again as Shan tried again.

As time went by, Shan remain strong. She carried buckets, practice moves, and try the wood again. But still Pai Mei wasn't convinced. But while he had doubts, Shan had spirit. She still practiced moves, the wood again but faster and when she stopped even for a second, Pai Mei would hit her on the head but she would get back up and try again. Soon she was getting good at her training though when she gets days off and rest in bed, her hand would go flying on instinct and hit the wall. Now that was painful. Soon enough the 2 were practicing together the Eagle's Claw and the 2 would nearly match each other to perfection. But Shan would still carry buckets of water but it was making her strong. And as she keeps practicing hitting the wood with Pai Mei behind her watching, he grew impressed.

One night, both Pai Mei and Shan were sitting at the dinner table. Pai Mei concentrates on eating. Shan's hand was scraped bloody. She tries to eat a bowl of rice with chopsticks, but her fingers won't work. She puts down the sticks and takes a scoop of rice with her fingers. Pai Mei slams his stick on the table to catch her attention. He took her bowl and said, "If you want to eat like a dog…You can live and sleep outside like a dog. If you want to live and sleep like a human…pick up those sticks." He tossed the rice and filled it with a new batch. Shan fixed the bowl in front of her and try to pick up the sticks. Though it was difficult, she managed to eat the rice. After dinner, Pai Mei walked up to her, picked up her shaky and iced her knuckles. "You never lost your spirit. Though you work for a man that is evil, you know it was for the greater good." He kissed her forehead. Then he sighs. "There is still one more thing I have to teach you, but you must promise me, only to use it as a last resort." Shan shakily nodded her head.

BACK TO COFFIN, SIX FEET UNDER

The flashlight beam turns on. Shan was still in there. Her breathing is normal. Her composure is back. Taking the flashlight, she shines the beam on the lid above her...Along the line of the coffin's rim and the lid where many nails meet...Then down to her red cowboy boots, bound by a leather belt around her. Raising her knees, as much as the coffin will allow, and wiggling her feet, she slips her bare feet out of the boots and the belt's binding...Then, using her bare feet, then her bound-at-the-wrist hands, to pass one of the boots up to her...When the red boot is in her grasp, she turns it upside down...The straight razor falls out. Opening the razor, she slices through the ropes that tie her wrists, till both hands are free. She positions the flashlight so its beam shines on the coffin lid. The lid about an inch and a half from the tip of her nose, about three inches from her hand. The turtle on her back glowed. "No Genbu/Xuan Wu. I need to do this myself." She got the flashlight ready and her hand against the wood. "Alright grandpa…here I came." Her eyes focus on the wood above her, her left hand reaches out, touches the pine, passing her energy to it... ...Her long, white fingers, ball up into a FIST... ...and that FIST begins STRIKING the coffin lid above her. AGAIN... And AGAIN... Her FIST SMASHES into the wood, leaving BLOOD on the lid… AGAIN...And AGAIN...A crack in the lid...AGAIN...Dirt begins to sift through the cracks onto the Bride... AGAIN... More dirt... AGAIN... Even more dirt... AGAIN... THE LID SMASHES and dirt pours into the coffin like water... THEN... Through six feet of dirt, Shan - DIG - CLIMB - SWIM - SPROUT - BURROW - trough the earth like a sprouting plant and a burrowing mole combined, clawing for surface air. Outside the tombstone of "PAULA SCHULTZ," and the mound of dirt over her grave. When... Shan's hand breaks the surface...then like one of Fulci's Zombies, Claws, Digs, and Pulls herself from mother earth's womb. Once extracted from her (almost) final resting place, she rolls over on her back, exhausted. She drinks in the night's air as if it were gulps of water. DIRT is in, on, and under every crack, crevice, and wrinkle on her body. The dragon on her back glowed. "Don't even think about it Qing Long/Seiryū. The air is too polluted for me to waterbend something to drink water air." Then she felt the pain as she wounds healed. "In Chinese classical elements why does the tiger represent metal, the dragon wood, and turtle water? The only one that makes sense is bird fire." She got no answer. "I liked it when I thought it was just the basic four before I did research."

A Texas diner across the street from the graveyard. A young soda jerk stands behind the counter, waiting for a customer, when he sees something approaching through the restaurant's big picture window that makes him look twice. Through the picture window Shan emerge from the Texas night, and walk towards the diner looking for all the world like a six-foot tall female version of the Peanuts character "PIG PEN." With each of her footfalls, a smaller mushroom cloud of dust comes off her. Shan walks into the diner, sits on a stool at the counter directly across from the Soda Jerk, and asked, "May I have a glass of water, please?"


	15. ELLE & I

_**Chapter 14: ELLE & I**_

The next morning, behind the wheel of a hot black and gold Trans Am, driving full out on top of the desert's surface. Spanish Rock coming out of her powerful speakers. The car soon stops in front of Fredo's camper. She shuts off the car and the radio. The camper door opens, Fredo's squints outside through the bright gold, hot desert morning, at the Tall Blonde Girl with one Good Eye.

Elsewhere, Shan was walking through the desert back to Fredo's camper. Sadly, she couldn't take her boots since they were 6 feet under so she was walking around barefoot. It took her all night but after some mountain climbing and desert walking, she soon saw Fredo's camper and saw Ellie's car drive up. Just seeing the 2 boiled Shan's blood and ran to the camper.

Meanwhile in the camper Fredo and Elle in the tiny kitchen of Fredo's tiny camper. Elle sits at the kitchen table, and the red suitcase in the living room. Fredo stands at a blender making them both breakfast margaritas, as he finishes telling the tale of last night. "...So that's called a Texas funeral?"

Fredo answered, "Yep."

Elle was impressed. "I got to give it to ya Fredo, that's a pretty fucked up way to die. What's the name on the grave she's buried under?"

"Paula Schultz."

Elle got a pad and paper and wrote down the name. Then she saw the sword. "Can I look at the sword?"

Fredo pointed to the red bag. "That's my money right there in that red bag, isn't it?"

Elle said, "It sure is."

Fredo went back to work. "Well then, it's your sword now." Fredo turns on the NOISY blender, as Elle walked in the living room and unsheathes the blade and said something. Budd shuts the blender off. "What's that you said?"

"So, this is a Hattori Hanzo sword."

Fredo answers as he fills up two former peanut butter jars with breakfast margaritas. "That's a Hanzo sword alright."

"Michael tells me you once had one of your own."

"Yeah once."

Elle asked, "Yeah? How does this one compare to that one?"

Fredo said, "If you're gonna compare a Hanzo sword, you compare it to every sword ever made - wasn't made by Hattori Hanzo. Here, wrap your lips around this." He hands her, her margarita, she takes a sip. He takes a gulp. "So, which "R" you filled with?"

Elle asked, "What?

Fredo said, "They say the number one killer of old people is retirement. People got'em a job to do, they tend to live a little longer so they can do it. I've always figured warriors and their enemies' share the same relationship. So now you ain't gonna hafta face your enemy on the battlefield no more, which "R" are you filled with, Relief or Regret?"

Elle replied, "A little bit of both."

Fredo said, "Bullshit. I'm sure you do feel a little bit of both. But I know damn well you feel one more than you feel the other. The question was which one?"

Elle looks right at him with her eye, and says; "Regret."

Fredo said, "Yeah you gotta hand it to the ol' girl. I never saw nobody buffalo Michael the way she buffaloed Michael. Michael useta think she was so damn smart. I tried to tell him... Michael, she's just smart for a girl."

He looks over at Elle and grins. Elle looks at him. "Want your money?"

She gestures to the red suitcase by her feet. He smiles and lifts it up on the table, unzipping it open. Lying inside is a cool million, the thousand dollar bills are inside stacks of a hundred thousand each. At the sight of all this lettuce, Fredo lets out a whistle. "Great day in the morning." He lifts a stack out of the bag, then another, then another...and when he lifts the third stack out, he looks down and sees a black mamba snake coiled underneath. The Black Mamba opens its wide jaws...and leaps right at Fredo… striking Fredo in the face repeatedly in blurred succession (three times in the face, and once in the forearm). Fredo topples out of the kitchen chair onto the floor, bundles of money fall with him.

Elle takes a sip of her Margarita. The Black Mamba leaves Fredo and goes under the refrigerator. Ellie looks down, Budd lies on his back on the kitchen floor at her feet. His face is already grotesquely swollen and white as a sheet. The serpent's extraordinarily potent venom makes a full-frontal assault on the cowboy's nervous system. "Oh, I'm sorry Fredo, that was rude of me, wasn't it? Fredo - I'd like to introduce my friend, The Black Mamba. Black Mamba - this is Fredo. You know before I picked up that little fella, I looked him up on the internet." Got her notepad out. "Fascinating creature the Black Mamba. Listen to this, ...In Africa, the saying goes, in the bush, an elephant can kill you. A leopard can kill you. And a Black Mamba can kill you. But only with the Mamba, and this has been true in Africa since the dawn of time, is death sure. Hence its handle; Death Incarnate. Pretty cool, huh? ...Its neurotoxin venom is one of nature's most effective poisons, acting on the nervous system causing paralysis. The venom of a Black Mamba can kill a human in four hours, if say bitten on the ankle or the thumb. However, a bite to the face or torso can bring death from paralysis within twenty minutes. Now you should listen to this, because this concerns you. The amount of venom that can be delivered from a single bit can be gargantuan. - You know I've always liked that word Gargantuan, and I so rarely have an opportunity to use it in a sentence. If not treated quickly with anti-venom, 10 to 15 milligrams can be fatal to human beings. However, the Black Mamba can deliver as much as 100 to 400 milligrams of venom from a single bite." Ellie finishes reading and puts the paper away. She looks down at Fredo at her feet, going through all the symptoms she just described. "Now in these last agonizing minutes of life you have left, let me answer the question you asked earlier, more thoroughly. When it comes to that bitch, I gotta lotta "R's" in me. Revenge is one. Retribution is another. Rivalry is definitely one. But I got another "R" for that bitch you might be surprised to find out. Respect. But right at this moment, the biggest "R" I feel, is Regret. Regret that maybe the greatest warrior I have ever met, met her end at the hands of a bushwhackin, scrub, a lacky piece of shit like you. The woman deserved better." Soon enough Fredo died. Ellie stood up and started to pack up the money when she got a phone call. She answered it and continued to clean up as she told a story. "Mike...Elle. I have some tragic news. Your brother's dead. I'm sorry baby. She put a Black Mamba in his camper. I got her, sweetie. She's dead. Let me put it this way. If you ever start feeling sentimental, go to Austin, Texas. When you get here, walk into a florist and buy a bunch of flowers. Then you take those flowers to Huntington cemetery on Fuller and Guadalupe, look for the headstone marked "Paula Schultz", then lay them on the grave. Because you will be standing at the final resting place of BEATRIX KIDDO." She picked up the red bag and placed it on the table. "Look…I can be there in about 4 hours. Do you want me to come over? No, no, no, no. You need me baby, I'm there. OK. I'm leaving now. You go smoke some pot or somethin' I'll be there soon."

She hung up the phone, got her bag, the sword, and as she kicked the door opened, the dirty Black Mamba kicked her back in. In short, it was Shan but her number 2 mind woke up. The 2 started to fight in the camper. Elle tried to get the sword out, but Shan pushed it back in. Elle punched her in the face and the 2 started fighting again. Then Shan grabbed a TV antenna and used it as a sword on Elle marking her face. Then Shan grabbed her sword but Elle tried to use it to cut Shan's throat. It didn't work with a kick to the groin. Then Shan tried to cut Elle's throat but being underground made her weak. Elle kicked her leg and head-butted Shan then she leaps to the air but Shan directed her to a wall, which broke, and Elle landed in the bathroom. That's when Shan tried to drown her in the toilet but Elle flushed it. Ellie kicked her again off her of her and tried to get away but Shan dragged her back to continue the fight. Then Elle kicked her into Fredo's room and as she ran off, Shan saw Fredo's Hattori Hanzo sword. She opened it and saw it's engraving. "To my brother, Fredo. The only man I ever loved. Michael."

Elle got the sword and when she turned back she saw Shan with a sword too. "What is that?"

Shan answered, "Fredo's Hanzo sword."

Elle said, "He said he pawned it."

Shan smirked. "Guess that makes him a liar now, doesn't it?" Then Shan asked, "Elle?"

"Bea."

Shan said, "Somethin' I've always been curious about. Just between us girls…what did you say to Pai Mei to make him snatch out your eye?" She was referring to when Ellie was Pai Mei's pulped she said something stupid and how she lost an eye.

Elle said, "I called him a miserable old fool."

Shan said, "Ooh. Bad idea."

Then Elle asked, "Know what I did? I killed that miserable old fool." Shan went wide-eyed. She killed her grandfather? Now she's the last.

 _Turns out while training, Elle did something to Pai Mei's food. "How do you like the fish head you miserable old fool?"_

 _Pai Mei was on the ground holding his chest and the fish head. She poisoned his fish heads. "Elle, you treacherous dog." Elle laughs at him. "I-give-you-my-word—" She kicked him to the floor and then he dropped._

Elle told Shan. "And I told him, 'To me, the word of an old fool like you is worth less than nothing'." Then she laughs. "That's right. I killed your master. And now I'm gonna kill you, too. With your own sword, no less. Which, in the very immediate future, will become my word."

Shan growls. "Bitch…you don't have a future." The 2 stand off together and then they charged each other. They were sword, pushing against each other. Looking at each other Shan new that she could beat her but she also knew, Elle wasn't worth it. Not after what she did. Instead of killing her, she plucked out her other eye. Elle screamed as she thrashed on the ground like a chicken without its head. Shan looked at the pathetic woman and dropped her eyeball and smashed it under her foot. Then she walked to the living room, got her sword and saw the Black Mamba snake. She looked at the thrashing screaming woman and nodded the snake to Elle. The snake slithered toward Elle. Shan pushed the door opened and walked out as it closed behind her.


	16. Face-to-Face

_**Chapter 15: Face-to-Face**_

In a forestland in Mexico, Shan, in her new ride was on her way to get more information from Michael only surviving family member Constanzia "Connie" Corleone. Connie was the youngest child and only daughter of Don Vito Corleone and Carmela Corleone. She was the sister of Sonny, Fredo and Michael Corleone. She married Sonny's friend Carlo Rizzi. Carlo, who Puzo characterizes as "a punk sore at the world", periodically abuses and cheats on Connie. The night of their wedding turned out to be a harbinger of things to come; he gave Connie a black eye when she refused to give him a purse containing cash gifts from the wedding guests. She complains to her father, who refuses to help. Connie's family grows to resent Carlo and his mistreatment of Connie, especially her oldest brother Sonny. One day, when Sonny visits Connie, he found her in tears and a bruised face. Sonny chases and beats up Carlo in the street, threatening to kill Carlo if he hurts Connie again. Corleone rivals Emilio Barzini and Philip Tattaglia recruit Carlo to bring Sonny into the open. Carlo has a mistress call the house and a fight with Connie ensues that ends with Carlo again beating Connie. Connie calls the Corleone compound-asking Sonny for help. An enraged Sonny drives off alone to help Connie, leaving his bodyguards following in a separate car. At a tollbooth Sonny is shot and killed by Barzini's Tommy gun-wielding men. Michael returns from Sicily and takes Sonny's place as Vito's heir apparent. When Vito died, Michael becomes the new Don and avenges Sonny's murder by having the heads of the Five Families killed and Carlo garroted by Peter Clemenza. Connie flies into a rage when she finds out Carlo is dead and blames Michael, denouncing him in front of his wife Kay. Later on, Connie remarried, divorced, and had affairs. She remains bitter toward Michael and announces that she intends to marry Merle Johnson, which Michael disapproves of. But it didn't last long since Connie return for her mother's funeral, having forgiven Michael. Many years later Connie was very close to her nephew Vincent Mancini, Sonny's illegitimate son with Lucy Mancini. Connie encourages Michael to bring Vincent into the Corleone family and support him in his feud with Joey Zasa. When Michael suffers a diabetic stroke, and recuperates in the hospital Connie and Al Neri give Vincent the approval to kill Zasa. Connie travels with the Corleone family to Sicily. She tells Vincent to prepare a counterattack if Michael is killed. Connie encourages the aging Michael to name Vincent the new Don. She attends the opera, along with the entire Corleone family, in Palermo where her nephew Anthony performs. On discovering that her godfather Don Altobello has been behind the plot against their family, she kills him by giving him a gift of poisoned cannolis. Connie was last known crying when an assassin intending to kill Michael kills her niece Mary. After that tragic accident Connie changed paths to stay away from Michael.

Back to the story. Shan drove down a road until she arrived at a shack filled with women of different ages. Nothing more than under 40. When she parked her new blue car, and walked inside and saw Connie now an old lady and in a wheelchair. Like most men in a family, Michael had 3. But under certain circumstances he only has one now. Connie Corleone. After the death of Michael's children Connie became a pimp. She ran a brothel in Acuna, Mexico for over 20 years. Her army the Acuna Boys, made up of the fatherless offspring of her whores, ran Acuna. She ran the Acuna Boys. Now at the elder age, it would be this retired woman of leisure who could point Shan to Michael's direction. Shan walked up to Connie. Connie was reading a classic book so she didn't see her. Shan stopped at Connie's table. "Madam Constanzia Corleone?"

Connie turned her face away from her book and saw Shan. "Yes."

Shan asked, "May I join you?"

Connie said, "Only on the condition that you call me Connie."

Shan asked, "May I join you, Connie?"

Connie said, "Yes." She placed down the book as Shan sat down across from her at the table. "Americana?"

Shan answered, "Chinese though my English is excellent. But I can speak Spanish or Italian, if you prefer."

Connie said, "No, no, no, no. I prefer English. I haven't spoken it in a while, but I would relish the opportunity to converse with such a pretty companion as yourself."

Shan said, "It's my pleasure to be in the company of such a fine lady as yourself."

Connie said as she smoked, "I must warn you, young lady…I am susceptible to flattery. How may I be of service to you?"

Shan rest her arms on the table and asked, "Where's Michael?"

Connie smiled. "Ahh. You must be Beatrix." Shan nodded. She wasn't going to risk telling her, her real name. She might just warn Michael. "I can see the attraction. I remember when I was only 5 years old, he took me to the movies. It was a movie starring Lon Chaney. Phantom of the Opera, the 1929 revise version when it was released. And whenever he would appear on the screen, Michael would be enchanted by how the phantom would reach his goal without any remorse. And I knew from this very moment, my brother was a fool for women. He lost his first wife from a bomb, and he lost his second wife from stupidity." Shan smiled. Then Connie said, "You know…being a fool for such a man or in this case a woman such as yourself…is always the right thing to do. If we had met when I was back in business…you would have been my number one lady."

Shan said, "Well, I'm flattered."

Connie said, "You goddamn well better be." Then she saw Shan's car. "This…I heard you were driving a truck."

Shan said, "My Pussy Wagon died on me."

Connie shook her head. "The Pussy died. Hmm. Michael shot you in the head, no?"

Shan answered, "Yes."

"Hmm." said Connie. "I would have been much nicer. I would have just cut your face." Shan looked at him confused. "You must forgive me. Please…you have a drink with me." Then she called to one of her girls. "Clara!"

A skinny blonde left the bar. "Coming."

She walked up to the table and Shan saw what Connie meant. The woman's face was cut on her lips making it open and deformed. "Dos anejo." Connie handed the woman a handkerchief to wipe the drool.

The woman wipes away the drool and handed it back. "Gracias."

As the woman walked away and Connie asked, "What were we talking about?"

Shan said, "Michael. Where's Michael?"

Connie repeated the question. "Where's Michael. Michael is at the Villa Quatro, on the road to Salina. I will draw you a map. Michael is my brother. Do you know why I help you?"

Shan answered, "No."

Connie answered, "Because he would want me to."

Shan said, "Now, that I don't believe."

Connie asked, "How else is he ever going to see you again?"

Later that night, Shan arrived at the Villa Quatro. She walked up to the Villa, got the info from the front desk. She got her gun ready as she quietly walked to Michael's room. She opened it and walked in. So far no one was around. But when she arrived at the living room she leaned against the wall to the deck, got her gun ready and when she turned to the door way, she got the shock of her life. "Freeze mommy!" It was her daughter alive and well. She had long black hair in red ribbon braids, grey eyes, which she got from Shan's father, and had glasses on.

She and Michael were on the deck with toy guns and they were playing a game with Shan. "Bang, bang! Oh!" Now they're playing like Shan shot them and pretend dying. "Oh! She got us, Cereza. Mommy got us." Michael was on the ground but Cereza was dragging it.

"Oh, I'm dying! I'm dying! I'm dying!"

Michael said, "Fall down, sweetheart. Mommy shot us." Cereza went to the ground. Shan put down her arms, and started to cry on what she was watching. Now the game they were playing, but the little girl she thought she lost all those years ago. "But little did Quickdraw Kiddo know that Cereza was only playing possum, due to the fact she was impervious to bullets."

Cereza sat up a bit. "I am pervious to bullets, Mommy."

Michael said to her, "Hey, get back down there. You're playing possum." Michael turned to Shan. "So, as the smirking killer advanced on what she thought was a bullet-ridden corpse, that when little Cereza fired."

Cereza got up from the ground and picked up the toy gun. "Bang, bang!" Shan was in tears looking at her beautiful little girl that she was speechless.

Michael talked to Shan. "You're dead, Mommy. So, die."

Shan realized the game and grabbed her chest. "Oh!" She was speechless again.

Michael said, "Cereza."

As a tear fell from Shan's eye she said, "Oh! Cereza…" Then she started to play. "I should've known. You are the best." Then she went to the ground.

Cereza dropped the gun and ran to Shan shaking her. "Oh, Mommy. Don't die. I was just playing."

Shan smiled and opened her eye. She gently moved the stray hair away from Cereza's face. "I know." Then she sat up and hugged her.

Michael sat up and said, "I told her that you were asleep…but that one day you'd wake up and come back to her." Shan looked at him with hate. "And she asked me, 'If Mommy's been asleep since I was born, then how will she know what I look like?' To which I replied, 'Because Mommy's been dreaming of you'. That's what I said."

Cereza asked, "Did you dream of me? I dreamed of you."

Shan said, "Every single night, baby. Every single night."

Cereza said, "I waited a long time for you to wake up Mommy."

Then Shan broke the hug. "Now, let me look at you." As she looked at Cereza's face she smiled. "Oh. My, my, my, what a pretty little girl you are."

Cereza smiled. "You're pretty too, Mommy."

Shan laughed. Then Michael walked up to the 2. "Tell Mommy, what you said when I showed you her picture." Cereza got shy as Shan got nervous when Michael got closer. "Come on, shy girl. Come on. You know what you said." Still Cereza wouldn't. "Come on. Tell Mommy. It'll make her feel good. Come on."

Cereza said, "I said…I said, 'You're the most beautiful woman I ever saw in the whole wide world'." Shan smiled.

Michael said, "That's the truth. That's what she said."

After a while the 3 were in the kitchen and as Michael was making a sandwich. "Cereza, don't you think Mommy has the prettiest hair in the whole wide world?"

Cereza answered, "Yes, I do."

"Matter of fact, it's better than pretty. What's better then pretty?"

"Mmm…Gorgeous."

Michael said, "Very good. Gorgeous. Mommy is gorgeous." He looked at Shan as Shan looked at him. "Hmm. You know, sweetie, Mommy's kinda mad at Daddy."

Cereza asked, "Why, Daddy? Were you being a bad daddy?"

Michael replied, "I'm afraid I was. I was a real bad daddy. Our little girl learned about life and death the other day. Wanna tell Mommy about what happened to Emilio?"

Cereza said sadly, "I killed him."

Michael started to explain. "Emilio was her goldfish."

"Emilio was my goldfish."

"She came running into my room, holding the fish in her hand and crying, 'Daddy, Daddy. Emilio's dead'. And I said, 'Really? That's so sad. How did he die'? And what did you say?"

Cereza answered, "I stepped on him."

Michael said, "Actually, young lady, the words you so strategically used were, 'I accidentally stepped on him.' To which I queried, 'And just how did your foot accidentally find its way into Emilio's fishbowl?' And she said, 'No, no, no. Emilio was on the carpet when I stepped on him.' The plot thickens. 'And just how did Emilio get on the carpet?' And Mommy, you would've been so proud of her. She didn't lie. She said she took Emilio out of his bowl…and put him on the carpet. And what was Emilio doing on the carpet?"

Cereza said, "Flapping."

Michael said, "And then you stomped on him." Cereza nodded. "And when you lifted up your foot…what was Emilio doing then?"

Cereza answered, "Nothing."

"He stopped flapping, didn't he?" he asked. Cereza nodded. "She told me later…that the second she lifted up her foot…and saw Emilio not flapping, she knew what she had done. Is that no the perfect visual image of life and death? A fish flapping on the carpet, and not a fish flapping on the carpet. So powerful, even a 4-year-old with no concept of life or death…knew what it meant."

Later on, Michael tucked Cereza to bed. "You loved Emilio, didn't you?" Cereza nodded. "Well…I love Mommy, too. But I did to Mommy what you did to Emilio."

Cereza asked, "You stomped on Mommy?"

Michael answered, "Worse. I shot Mommy. Not pretend shooting like we were just doing. I shot her for real."

Cereza asked, "Why? Did you want to see what would happen?"

Michael replied, "No, I knew what would happen to Mommy if I shot her. What I didn't know was, when I shot Mommy, what would happen to me."

Cereza asked, "What happened?"

Michael answered, "I was very sad. And that's when I learned…some things, once you do, they can never be undone."

Cereza asked, "What happened to Mommy?"

Michael walked up to Shan who was at the doorway. "Why don't you ask Mommy?"

Cereza asked, "You OK, Mommy? Did it hurt?"

Shan smiled and walked over to the bed and lay down next to her. "No, sweetie. Doesn't hurt anymore."

Cereza asked, "Did it make you sick?"

Shan answered. "No. It made me sleep. That's why I haven't been with you, Cereza. I've been asleep."

Cereza asked, "But you're awake now Mommy, right?"

Shan smiled. "I'm wide awake pretty girl."

Michael asked, "Cereza, would you like Mommy to watch a video with you before sleepy time?"

Cereza answered, "Uh-huh. Mommy, do you wanna watch a video with me before sleepy time?"

Shan answered, "Oh, yeah! I would love to. Which one do you wanna watch?"

Cereza said, "Shogun Assassin."

Michael objected. "No Cereza. Shogun Assassin is too long."

Cereza shook her head and Shan said, "No, it's not."

Michael said, "Well, then, I'll leave you ladies to it." Then he shut the doors leaving them alone.

About an hour later, Cereza and Shan were watching the movie together. It was the first time ever, Shan gets to hold her baby girl. She never did prior to what happened in El Paso. If she could turn back time, she would've said no to Special Forces but at the same time, she would never have Cereza and Shan would go after Michael for a different reason other than Elle killing her beloved grandfather. But at that moment it didn't matter. All that it matter is Shan is with her daughter again and this time she's going to make sure she'll never lose her again and to finish the mission. It was her mess to clean up after all. When the movie was over, Cereza was fast asleep. Shan gently picked her up and tucked her into bed with her favorite doll and then Shan saw a picture of herself when she was younger on Cereza's nightstand. Thinking ahead of time Shan took off her necklace and placed it on the picture for Cereza. Then she got out of bed walked out and closed the door behind her so that Cereza wouldn't come out. As she walked down the steps to the living room she saw Michael looking at her Hattori Hanzo sword. "Quite a piece of work. Speaking of which, how is Hanzo-san?"

Shan said, "He's good."

Michael asked, "Has his sushi gotten any better?" Shan shook her head. She walked down the stairs. "You know, I couldn't believe it. you got him to make you a sword."

Shan said, "It was easy. I just dropped your name, Michael."

Michael chuckled. "That'd do it." Shan arrived and sat down on the couch. "I suppose the idea is we cross Hanzo swords. Am I right?" Shan saw Michael's sword on top of the TV. "Well, it just so happens this hacienda has its own private beach. And that private beach just so happens to look particularly beautiful bathed in moonlight. And there just so happens to be a full moon out tonight. So, swordfighter, if you want a swordfight, that's where I suggest. But if you wanna be old school about it…and you know I'm all about old school…" Shan giggled. "…then we could wait until dawn and slice each other up at sunrise like a couple of real-life honest…" Shan ran to the sword, but Michael shot the TV and Shan jumped back on the couch. "Now, if you don't settle down, I'm gonna have to put one in your kneecap. And I hear tell that's a very painful place to get shot in." Then he shot the fruit in front of her making a mess. He just laughed and waved his gun as he put it away. "I'm just fuckin' with you." Shan hates him more. "Now…when it comes to you…and us…I have a few unanswered questions. So, before this tale of bloody revenge reaches its climax, I'm gonna ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth. However, therein lies a dilemma. Because when it comes to the subject of me, I believe you are truly and utterly incapable of telling the truth. Especially to me. And least of all, to yourself. And when it comes to the subject of me, I am truly and utterly incapable of believing anything you say." He walked behind the bar.

Shan asked, "How do you suppose we solve this dilemma?"

Michael said, "Well, it just so happens, I have a solution." He got a gun and shot her. "Gotcha."

But it wasn't a bullet. It was a giant needle with some green liquid. "What the fuck did you shoot me with?"

Michael replied, "My greatest invention. Or at least my favorite." Shan was about to remove it but Michael stopped her. "Don't touch it, or I'll stick another one right in your cheek." Shan left the needle alone. "What lies within that dart, just begging to course its way through your veins…is an incredibly potent and quite infallible truth serum. I call it 'The Undisputed Truth'. Twice as strong as sodium pentothal, with no druggie aftereffects. Except for a slight wave of euphoria. You feel it?"

Shan asked, "Euphoria? No."

Michael shrugged. "Too bad. As you know…I'm quite keen on comic books. Especially the ones about superheroes." Shan started to sweat. "I find the whole mythology surrounding superheroes fascinating. Take my favorite superhero, Superman." He took a shot of booze from the bar. "Not a great comic book. Not particularly well drawn. But the mythology…The mythology is not only great, it's unique."

Shan started panting. "How long does this shit take to go into effect?" she asked.

Michael replied, "About 2 minutes. Just long enough for me to finish my point. Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero and there's the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone. Superman didn't become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with a big red S – that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears: the glasses, the business suit, that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak…he's unsure of himself…he's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race. Sorta like Beatrix Kiddo and Mrs. Tommy Plimpton."

Shan said, "Ah-so. The point emerges."

Michael continued. "You would've worn the costume of Arlene Plimpton. But you were born Beatrix Kiddo. And every morning when you woke up, you'd still be Beatrix Kiddo." Then he remembered the needle. "Oh, you can…take the needle out."

Shan did. "Are you calling me a superhero?"

Mchael replied, "I'm calling you a killer. A natural born killer. You always have been, and you always will be. Moving to El Paso…working in a used record store…goin' to the movies with Tommy…clipping coupons. That's you…trying to disguise yourself as a worker bee. That's you tryin' to blend in with the hive. But you're not a worker bee. You're a renegade killer bee. And no matter how much beer you drank or barbecue you ate or how fat your ass got, nothing in the world would ever change that." Then he started the interrogation. "First question: Did you really think your life in El Paso was gonna work?"

Shan was about to lie but the chemical wouldn't let her. "No! But I would've had Cereza!"

Michael said, "Don't get me wrong. I think you would have been a wonderful mother. But you are a killer. All those people you killed to get to me…felt damn good, didn't they?"

Shan tried to shook her head but instead nodded. "Yes."

"Every single one of them?"

"Yes."

Michael then got serious. "That was the warm-up round. Now comes the $64, 000 question." He walked up and sat down on the couch across form her. "Why did you run away from me with my baby?"

Shan asked, "Do you remember the last assignment you sent me on?"

Michael said, "Of course. Lisa Wong."

Shan said, "The morning I left, I was sick. On the plane, I threw up. So, I started thinking: Maybe I was pregnant."

 _She remembered it just like it was yesterday. She was in a hotel room, in the bathroom, and had a pregnancy test to see if Shan was pregnant. "Easy to use. Remove the cap urinate on the absorbent end for 5 seconds." She got her watch to check the time. "Accurate result in only 90 seconds. You can read the results as soon as the line appears in the window." As she waited, she walked around the bathroom, cracked her toes, and checked herself in the mirror to see if she was showing yet. When time was up, she checked the stick, checked the box and got the shock of her life. "Fuck." What she didn't know…was that somewhere on her journey she had been spotted. With her in L.A., it didn't take Lisa Wong long to send an assassin of her own. The assassin walked up with a shotgun behind her and a gift in the front. She ran the doorbell. "Hello, can I help you?"_

 _The lady said, "Hello, I'm Karen Kim. I'm the hospitality manager of the hotel. I have a welcome gift from the management."_

 _Shan looked through the whole and dropped the test stick. "Oh, that nice. Um…Just leave it by the door." As Shan went down to pick up the stick, her door was blasted. The assassin walked in. Shan came from behind the bathroom door, and threw a knife at her. The assassin dodged it and shot again. Shan got behind the bed on the ground and got a gun herself. "You pretty good with that shotgun?"_

 _The assassin said, "Not that I have to at this range, but I'm a fucking surgeon with this shotgun."_

 _Shan said, "Well, guess what, bitch? I'm better then Annie Oakley. And I got you right in my sight."_

 _The assassin said, "I could blow your fucking head off."_

 _Shan said, "Not before I put one right between your eyes, so let's talk. Karen…I just found out…right now…not a moment before you blew a hole through the door…that I'm pregnant."_

 _The assassin asked, "What is this?"_

 _Shan said, "On the floor by the door…is a strip that says I'm pregnant."_

" _Bullshit."_

 _Shan said, "Any other time you'd be 100% right." She sat up but remain behind the bed. "This time…you're 100% wrong. I'm the deadliest woman in the world. But right now, I'm just scared shitless for my baby. Please. Just look at the strip. Please." By this point, Shan was begging._

 _The assassin said, "Stay where you and don't move." She slowly walked back to the ground and picked up the stick. She looked at it and said, "I don't know what this fucking shit means."_

 _Shan said, "The box with the directions – it's right there." She pointed to the box on the ground not far from where the assassin is._

 _The assassin walked over the box on her knees and started to read the directions. "Easy to use. Remove the cap and urinate on the absorbent end."_

 _Shan said, "Blue means pregnant."_

 _The assassin said, "I'll read it myself, thank you." She went back to reading the box and when she finished she said, "Oh, OK." She threw the box away and stood up. "Say I were to believe you, what then?"_

 _Shan said, "Just go home. I'll do the same."_

 _The assassin walked to the door, opened it, walk to the hallways as it slowly closed. When it did, the assassin lower the gun and said, "Congratulations." Then she ran off._

When the story was over, Michael was at the deck table drinking with his sword and Shan was at the doorway outside with her sword. "Before that strip turn blue…I was a woman, I was your woman. I was a killer who killed for you. Before that strip turned blue, I would've jumped a motorcycle onto a speeding train. For you. But once that strip tuned blue…I could no longer do any of those things. Not anymore. Because I was gonna be a mother. Can you understand that?"

Michael said, "Yes. But why didn't you…tell me then, instead of now?"

Shan answered, "Once you knew, you'd claim her. And I didn't want that."

Michael said, "Not your decision to make."

"Yes. But it's the right decision, and I made it for my daughter. She deserved to be born with a clean slate. But with you…she would've been born into a world she shouldn't have. I had to choose. I chose her. You know, 5 years ago, if I had to make a list of impossible things that could never happen, you performing a coup de grace on me by bustin a cap in my crown…would've been right at the stop of the list." She sat down across the table. "I'd have been wrong, wouldn't I?"

Michael said, "I-I'm sorry. Was that a question? Of impossible things that could never happen – yes, in this instance you would've been wrong."

Shan asked, "Well?"

Michael said, "When you never came back, I naturally assumed Lisa Wong or somebody else, had killed you. Oh! And for the record…letting somebody think somebody they love is dead when they're not is quite cruel. I mourned you for 3 months. And in the 3rd month of mourning you…I tracked you down. I wasn't trying to track you down. I was trying to track down the fucking assholes I thought killed you. So, I find you…and what do I find? Not only are you not dead…you're getting married to some fucking jerk. And you're pregnant. I overreacted."

Shan made a face like 'Are you fucking kidding me?'. She leaned forward in disbelief. "You overreacted? Is that your explanation?"

Michael defended himself. "I didn't say I was gonna explain myself. I said I was gonna tell you the truth. But if that's too cryptic, let's get literal. I'm a killer. I'm a murdering bastard. You know that. And there are consequences…to breaking the heart of a murdering bastard. You experienced some of them. Was my reaction really that surprising?"

Shan answered, "Yes. It was. Could you do that you did? Of course, you could. But I never thought you would or could, do that to me."

Michael said, "I'm really sorry, Kiddo…but you thought wrong."

Shan got her sword ready. "You and I have unfinished business."

Michael said, "Baby…you ain't kiddin." Then the 2 fought sitting down. Michael drew his sword, tried to slice her. Shan fell back but used the sword to push her back up. She locked the attack, but then he swiped the sword away from her leaving only the sheathe. Michael was about to stab her, but she used her own sheathe to catch the sword and then used the Five-Point Palm - Exploding Heart Technique. When she was finished, he coughed up a bit of blood and stopped to breath. "Pai Mei taught you the Five-Point Palm - Exploding Heart Technique?"

Shan smiled tearfully. "Of course, he did. He is after all my grandfather."

Michael asked, "Grandfather?"

Shan said, "My real name is Shan Mao. I was approached by Special Forces to take you out. But I didn't count on falling in love with you and have a beautiful baby girl with you."

Michael asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shan started to cry. "I don't know. Because I'm…a bad person."

Michael smiled. "No. You're not a bad person. You're a terrific person. You're my favorite person. But every once in a while…you can be a real cunt."

Shan laughed at that comment. "You said at the chapel you had a beautiful dream about me. What was it about?"

Michael said, "In the dream, I saw you and a lot of other people that I have never meet saving something more precious than I could ever give you. I even saw the 4 animals that were on your back. I didn't know what it meant but after that dream, I knew what it was. I guess I was hoping I was wrong. Whoever man that gets to be with you for the long hall is going to be one lucky son of a bitch."

Shan said, "I've been told that can never happen. That my fate is sealed."

Michael said, "You were born to change fates. Maybe it's best to change yours too." Michael wiped away the blood from his mouth. "How do I look?"

Shan grabbed his hand. "You look ready." Shan let go of his hand, Michael stood up, fixed his clothes and looked at her. Then he looked at the garden and did his very last steps. Once he took his 5th step, he stopped, and then fell to the ground never to wake up again. The Mafia was over. Shan cried a bit more, but then wiped her tears away.

Soon enough, Shan, with Cereza in her arms, was leaving the villa while members of Special Forces walked in to clean the mess and collect the body. The driver pulled up Shan's car and handed her the keys. Shan put Cereza in the car and once Shan was inside the car, she drove off. The next morning… Cereza was on the motel room bed, watching Saturday morning cartoons on T.V. In the bathroom, Shan was on the floor of the motel room bathroom, crying her eyes out. She shoves a towel in her mouth so Cereza won't hear her and a stuff lion in her arms. Nothing was wrong cause her face had tears are tears of joy. She can't believe this is even happening. Her daughter is alive. They're together. They get to begin again. She covers her mouth so Cereza won't hear her crying and get worried or confused. But as the deadliest woman on the planet, lies on the motel room bathroom floor, smile on her face, twinkle in her eyes, happier than she's ever been, she thinks one thought. Over and over again... "Thank you God…thank you god...thank you god...thank you god." She washes her face in the sink, when she's presentable, she walks out of the bathroom, jumps on the bed with her baby, hugs her from behind as the two watch Saturday morning cartoons.

The lioness has been reunited with her cub, and all is right in the jungle.


End file.
